Magical Mayhem: The Enigma of the Prism Star
by manga ranga
Summary: After a vicious storm sweeps through, the Mushroom Kingdom has been plundered and looted by unknown thieves. Mario and Peach discover a shard of Star Diamond which leads to a far greater conspiracy. Yet all clues and discoveries lead back to two distant monarchs and their kingdoms, the Water Princess of the Arcane Kingdom and the Lightning Queen of the Malevolent Mires.
1. A Dark Bargain

_Was originally going to leave this on Archive of Our Own, however some have requested that I put it on this site too._

* * *

So this was the kingdom of the Lightning Queen? The Malevolent Mires were essentially a festering midden. All the plants either clung to life or were dead and rotting in the murky sludge that passed as water. The earth was soft mud, making it near impossible to get steady footing. Sinking in the swamps were the ruins of ancient castles and cities. Once proud beacons of civilisation were now lost, half submerged in the putrid earth like stunned giants being consumed by quick sand. The trees were mostly withered husks studded with moss and fungi. Although he had never seen such mushrooms before in his life as they glowed with colourful bioluminescence. It was somewhat convenient given the late hour of the night and the darkness that only added to the inhospitable landscape.

A cloud of mist escaped his mouth as Ludwig hugged his shoulders. He could see the fungi dotting the various trees and shining far and wide into the horizon. Their natural light seemed to betray the ominous swamps. At least he had markers to guide him through the shadows. He suspected the stench of rotting plants that hung in the air would make any normal traveller gag and flee. But after years of living in Bowser's Castle, Ludwig was immune to most disgusting occurrences thanks to Bowser and the Koopalings. If Larry's tales were to be believed, he should be expecting monsters to ambush him at any second. A clawed and scaled hand went through his immaculately styled blue hair. He chuckled to himself confidently at the childish thought. The tales of the Lightning Queen were just a bedside story to make troublesome children behave and utterly terrified of storms.

Then again that was not why Ludwig abandoned the kingdom and betrayed Bowser. He jumped from partially submerged ruin to another as he headed deeper into the mires. His stocky body proving to be agile and capable of covering far distances with the aid of a flutter jump. His claws hooked over the edge of a shattered stone floor as he lost his footing. The slimy moss was growing denser the further he travelled. He could also swear he could hear people screaming with terror in the wind. Yet looking around himself proved that there was indeed nothing near him. A moment's pause, Ludwig sat upon a windowsill and looked out into the vast wilderness. It was rumoured that within this place was an enlightened city, Rhapsody. A place where unique minds and the greatest of thinkers could study and hone their skills to their heart's content. The idea made it seem like paradise to him.

Over the last few years, things at Bowser's Castle had continuously gotten worse. He was mature enough to know how monarchy worked. With the appearance of Bowser Jr, Ludwig knew he had to step aside in his claim for the throne and also his position as second in command. The very idea was quite pleasant, with less responsibility he could finally resume his passion for music and compose his symphonies. What was just a casual past time could now be trained and honed into a real talent. He could actually learn how to play other music aside from Koopa symphonies, which sadly were not overly popular anywhere. Nothing went to plan though as Bowser Jr quickly got on his nerves. The young prince's antics rivalled both Larry and Lemmy's in annoyance and were generally much more destructive. However Bowser never seemed to reprimand his son like he had done with the Koopalings. Ludwig was fine with stepping aside for a true blood heir and generally the diplomat who had to calm the other Koopalings when they were outraged by the prince. But Bowser Jr proved to be a dull witted, bothersome and obnoxious little koopa. The very presence of the royal brat was enough to make his blood boil and his usual calm demeanour vanish.

Now Ludwig was completely alone, he had ran off in the night with only his magic sceptre and left no trace of where he had gone. That had been a fortnight ago, he laughed to himself again, feeling idiotic to be reminiscing over such trivial problems. He had put as much distance as possible between him and any trace of the Koopa or Mushroom Kingdom. The Malevolent Mires were practically on the edge of the world near the Arcane Kingdom. A place Ludwig did not even know existed until he passed it on his travels. He did not stop though, at the moment the last thing he wanted was to talk to a bunch of backwater idiots.

A shifting ripple in the water caught his attention from his look out. Ludwig instinctively readied his sceptre, preferring to wait for the ambusher to emerge before deciding on a course of action. The rippling bubbled away and disappeared beneath the ruined building he sought refuge in. His moment of ease was quickly obliterated as the serpentine creature burst from the water and smashed through the floors of the half submerged building. Ludwig leapt with all his might to the next building, in the panic he dropped his sceptre into the water below. Cursing under his breath as he scrambled to his feet, he caught a glimpse of his attacker.

At what he first thought was a skeletal serpent was actually a giant centipede. Its exoskeleton had mutated far beyond smooth carapace into elaborate armour. It shone beneath the moonlight with a metallic gleam as feathery gills fluttered between its long writhing legs. For a moment it paused, its tremendous mandibles clicked in the wind as it gazed over the landscape. Ludwig smirked, perhaps the giant insect was short sighted. The building he thought he was safe in shook wildly as another centipede surfaced from below. He let out a scream as he plummeted into the waters bellow. He felt his shell come into contact with more writhing bodies. There must have been a swarm of these creatures beneath the water's surface.

His mind stopped thinking logically as panic and fear took hold of his senses. His instincts told him to flee in any way possible. Ludwig threw himself upwards onto a bank, nimbly dodging the thrashing tails of the centipedes as he vanished deeper into the swamp. The further he ran, the quicker he learnt that the monsters were indeed real. Impossibly large arthropods emerged from below the foggy water and the sludgy earth, some fluttering out from beneath giant mushrooms. No matter what type of bug or crustacean it was, they were all mutated to giant proportions with twisted exoskeletons that glistened beneath the moonlight. The few varieties he saw that possessed wings appeared to crackle with lightning as they soared effortlessly through the air.

Usually, Ludwig was a horror enthusiast who to this day never recoiled from any gruesome ghost story. He only smirked while the rest of the Koopalings trembled and screamed at Iggy's elaborate tales. But never in his life had he heard of insects ever growing to this size. He never even realised they were so grotesque and horrifying to behold until he came face to face with them. An old mausoleum leading down into the earth appeared around a turn. Determined to escape the strange fauna, Ludwig fled into the darkness and down the stone stairs. In his panic he slipped on a patch of rotting moss and tumbled down. Quickly curling into a tight ball to avoid damage, but not nausea, as he felt every jolt and turn. When he finally came to rest, he emerged from his shell and looked around. The only light filtered in from the doorway overhead and it was near impossible to decipher where exactly he was.

His heart almost stopped as two firm hands grasped his shoulders. His breath was in shock as he could not even whimper. Someone breathed near his face, a feminine voice chuckled "Boo!"

The force of a lightning bolt shot through Ludwig as he finally screamed.

* * *

When his senses finally returned, all he could feel were pins and needles through his body. A sickening groan forced the taste of bile into his mouth. Ludwig moaned softly as he tried to roll over, at least now he was on solid ground. A slate floor greeted his eye sight. He wearily lifted his head to see a flickering torch mounted on the opposite windowless wall. He then forced himself upright as he realised something off, there were metal bars and a locked door obscuring his line of sight across the room. He was in a dungeon now, in all his years of working in Bowser's castle, he had never been locked in a cell before. Especially not one that decorated the walls with moss and the floors with bones chained with manacles. Ludwig recoiled with a screech as he realised these remains were previous guests. Whoever lived here had every intention of leaving him to rot.

Ignoring the protests of his body, Ludwig's mind went to work as he looked around for something, anything to aid his escape. His attention immediately set on the door, stumbling over to it to examine the lock and hinges. A smirk crossed his face followed by a chuckle, the hinges were set with pins and not welded directly to the door. At least that made this easier as he nearly tripped over himself to snatch a broken rib bone. Using the bone as a makeshift tool, he threaded his arms through the bars and proceeded to lever the pin out of the hinge. After a while of fumbling in the partial darkness and climbing up the bars to reach the top hinge he finally succeeded. He shoulder barged through the door, snatching the torch from the wall and running in whatever direction he thought led to the surface.

The tiny flame was not enough to cut through the inky darkness. However Ludwig felt it would best to reserve his flame breath for when he needed it. The small light it gave only revealed endless corridors of stone. A small snort of fire exposed them ending with a sudden drop into nothingness. He continued to comb the labyrinth for any way to escape, occasionally reigniting the torch when it dimmed until it eventually burned to nothing. Going solely by feel as he cautiously progressed, running his claws along the wall, he saw a light in an earthy tunnel ahead. Like a moth to a flame he instinctively pursued it, the walls closing as he advanced towards it. So close to the exit he found himself stuck in the narrow tunnel, his legs madly flailed and clawed at the loose soil. He thought he was going mad as he heard two people laughing behind him. This was followed by a strong shove as he was ejected from the tunnel and sent sprawling to the muddy ground.

She saw the strange koopa emerge in her holding pit, he appeared to be on the cusp of the adolescent phase and almost into the final growth spurt of his species. Although she had never seen a bipedal koopa with a spiked shell, let alone a koopa so large at such a young age. When she ran a sample of his blood she could not believe it when she saw the presence of evoglobin. With this discovery in mind, she decided to do something out of the ordinary as she approached the metallic edge of the pit. She looked down upon the stocky yet pudgy koopa, his wild blue hair was parted into two waves. His scales varied in shades of green and yellow. Although, the blue shell on his back revealed his true age as it was still smooth between the spikes, signifying his body still had growing to do. The most curious part of his appearance was the large fang that poked between his lips like a beaver, most likely caused by an incomplete cleft palate.

Ludwig noticed someone finally looking down on him from the top of the pit. She looked human with jagged white hair that was shaped like lightning bolts around her face. She appeared to be wearing a lab uniform studded by large gold buttons and shaded with dark greys. A hefty pair of safety goggles obscured most of her face. A thick leather belt hugged her waist while tight sleeves striped black and purple covered her arms to vanish beneath leather gloves. Her smile revealed a missing front tooth and seemed more cruel than kind. She laughed, her voice was almost melodic "Good morning or is it evening now? I spend so much time in my lab I barely know these days."

Ludwig roared back "I demand that you let me go, right now. Enough of these sick games!"

"Or what? I'm not scared of your flames kid, and one shock from me and you'll drop like a rock. Just like you did earlier." she flicked her long hair with a chuckle "Besides, you're the one trespassing on private land."

He fell silent and lowered his head, feeling like an utter fool for making such threats when he was in no position to. Then again, judging by the steam powered machinations writhing over the ceiling and the echo of electricity crackling from shoddy wires. It was clear that this woman had been electrocuted a few too many times. Even now her fluid movements were restless as she moved around the mouth of the pit like an organic clockwork doll. Ludwig shook his head and perished the metaphor, he really was not thinking clearly now.

"However, you must be pretty lucky. You've caught my attention so how about we make a deal?"

A curious eyebrow was raised, he snapped abruptly "How so?"

"Well… I took a sample of your blood and did some testing and… I've discovered that you're an extremely rare species of koopa, one that I've never actually seen before. So if you cooperate with me and participate in a few experiments, maybe I'll let you go or maybe you'll decide to stay. Let's just see how it all plays out."

"A maybe? That's not good enough," Ludwig folded his arms over his chest "What's the alternative?"

"I perform an autopsy to get my answers, you're smart enough to know what that means. It's win, win for me regardless. The only thing that changes is whether or not you cooperate."

He let out a sigh of defeat "Very well, I'll cooperate. But if we are to be civil I should at least know your name."

A pause faltered her momentarily, before she could answer "Call me Diabella, most idiots think of me as the Lightning Queen." She snorted "It's ludicrous, and what do I call you? I need a name for this file."

"Ludwig von Koopa." He lowered his head, seeing that his body was caked with filth and rotten moss. Perhaps he had overreacted to Bowser Jr's latest prank? It was unforgivable, but was it really worth all this? It would take time to learn of this place and formulate an exit strategy.

"Seriously?" Diabella looked him over again "With your face I thought you'd be Bucky McFloofyhair… Ludwig? Really!? More like Chubwig." She shook her head as she vanished from view, but he could still hear her rambling to herself.


	2. An Unusual Morning

The bedroom was fit for a very girly princess and coloured in her favourite hues of pinks and purples. Star and mushroom designs embellished the furniture. At that moment, Peach was madly tearing through her dresser. Her empty jewelry boxes were already in disarray, scattered across the floor and her bed. She paused for moment, brushing her blonde locks from her beautiful face. Her cerulean eyes frantically darted from case to case. Every piece of jewelry, even the royal heirlooms, were gone. It made no sense at all, given there was a terrible storm the previous night but she had spent her evening in the castle. There was no possible way an intruder could come in, especially with her staff and guards being present. Then again that never really stopped Bowser.

She adjusted the hem of her gown, feeling rather exposed without her tiara, broach and earrings. She still possessed that natural poise and grace expected of a princess. Her dress would easily be counted as the finest outfit any of her citizens could possess. But she was still shaken by her discovery that morning. There was no sign of forced entry into her room, meaning that someone just walked in while she was sleeping. She thanked the stars they just took her possessions and left. With a loud sigh, she proceeded to tidy up the frantic mess she had made. Packing away the boxes and returning them to their places. While doing so, she felt something hard beneath the lining of one of the larger jewelry boxes.

A tactile exploration of the velvet led to a coarse stitch line along the edges of the box. She had not even noticed it to begin with. The stitches were done in a hurry with a loose thread trailing against the velvet. Peach grasped it and tugged, ripping the seam free and exposing a makeshift hiding place. Not only had someone sewn the lining back, but had also carved a divot in the thick wood to place something. She shook her head to herself out of disbelief, how did she sleep through such a racket? Perhaps she ignored it due to the thunderous booming of the turbulent storm outside.

Nestled in the wooden divot was a diamond, an elongated point cut like the tip of a star. When she held it to the light it glowed then released a kaleidoscope of vivid colours. Removing it from the sunshine returned it to its amazingly brilliant clarity. Bewildered by this discovery she left her bedroom to summon Mario to the castle immediately.

* * *

"An organ you say?" Toadsworth's white moustache twitched as he adjusted his spectacles "Are you sure Toadofsky? I mean, how is that even possible?"

Opposite him was a panicked Toad, his mushroom cap decorated with diamond patterns with curls of blond hair immaculately shaped like a powdered wig. The fine black suit he wore clashed with his striped trousers. His entire being still trembling from the horrific discover that greeted him that morning in the concert hall. He was inconsolable as he blurted out "I don't know, all I know is that it was taken during the storm by group of thugs! I only caught a glim-"

Toadsworth rapped his cane on the checkerboard patterned floor. Other fellow mushroom folk stopped what they were doing as they paid attention to their discussion. He went on to say "Calm yourself, you should be happy you're still alive and unharmed. Now, what did you see?"

"I saw…" Toadofsky calmed himself before proceeding with an even tone "I saw two on my assailants, one was a Toad woman, she wore a purple Spiny shell on her head AND a poison mushroom cap, I don't know, I've never seen her before. She knocked me out in the end when I kept screaming for help." He then felt repulsed at the next admission "The other, was one those retched Koopalings, the one with wild blue hair and a single fang. You know, that tone deaf one who composes those awful symphonies! And both of them were dressed really weird, much like the older style of clothing during Peach's grandmother's reign… before I forget, they had an insignia on their clothes, a brass gear with a lightning bolt through it."

"Thankyou for your astute recollection, but the Koopa you mentioned," Toadsworth felt his cane slip from his fingers and rattle on the floor. "That's Ludwig Von Koopa… but what is Bowser playing at by taking the opera hall's organ?"

"If that Ludwig plays it, we're doomed, it'd be better to deafen yourself now rather than even try listening to his work."

"This is more than just musical integrity Toadofsky!" Toadsworth snapped "Thankyou for telling me this, I will bring it to the princess' attention."

He hurried through the main hall, towards the more private wings of the castle where the princess dwelled. He could not mask the concern on his face from the news but knew he had to inform Peach of his discovery.

* * *

The streets of Toad Town were bustling with more life than usual that morning. Overnight one of the worst storms to hit the city had swept through. Windows were shattered, roofs were torn away from houses and panic followed. What made it more ominous were whispers of giant flying insects in the night. But these rumours seemed to come from the mouths of children so they were dismissed as childish tales. Toads scattered through the streets sweeping up debris and trying to restore order to the mess. Royal guards and scribes marched between the buildings to document the extent of the damage. Already claims of theft were beginning to pile up but no clue as to who or what the looters were.

Although he wanted to help, Mario knew he had to the castle as quickly as possible. A messenger had arrived at his door within the hour with an urgent summons from Peach. He quickly walked down the main street, casually waving to the various Toads that acknowledged them. His red cap, blue overalls and impeccable moustache could be sighted a mile away. Peach's Castle rose in the distance, its usually immaculate form had been chipped and scratched by the storm. He strode past the guards and various servants as he let himself in. Even though he told Peach off many times for leaving her doors unlocked, there was something compassionate and admirable about it. As a princess, she was never cut off from her people and that was probably why they all loved her so much.

The grand hall was a maze of doors leading to the various wings of the palace. The chequered floor contrasted against the silver walls and windows that were could only be described as walls of glass neatly framed in gold. The effect made it feel like you never really went inside as you could the immaculate courtyards and gardens from every room. Some of the glass had shattered from the storm as Toads were busy sweeping up the mess. Everything about the room either had star or mushroom shaped embellishments. He walked the grand red carpet that ascended the stairwell into the second level. The guards stood to attention as he walked past and entered the throne room.

Mario never really liked the throne room, sure it was opulent and beautiful to gaze upon if you were a visiting dignitary from a far off kingdom. But it was not true to who Peach was and he knew that. She was always so kind and friendly that the formality of ceremony was almost out of place for her. It was why she was so enthusiastic to help others and run off on adventures with him through the countryside. Time away from the castle meant she did not have to worry about being a princess for a while. Having rescued her more times than he could count, the guards knew him well and allowed him to pass into the private wings of the palace. Given the time of day, he knew she'd be in her courtyard enjoying a cup of tea.

Sunlight filtered through the overarching hedges, elegant metal frames were positioned to form a canopy. Over time the frames were now nearly lost amidst the crawling vines and vibrantly coloured flowers. Beneath her leafy sunshade, Peach sat at her pink and white table setting. A fine china tea set was methodically laid before her as she quietly drank from her cup. Toadsworth was also with her, his arms flailing as he retold the discoveries he had made that morning. Despite his panicked cries, Peach's beautiful features never creased with anger or recoiled with fear. Her luminous blue eyes were calm, thoughtful as she patiently listened. Her hair was out and the same colour as the stars themselves. Mario noticed something was a little different though as she seemed to be missing her crown and jewels today.

For a moment Peach found herself distracted as a familiar plumber approached her. He was much shorter than her, barely reaching her chest. Oddly he had dark brown hair, usually obscured by his cap, and a black moustache, which was always groomed perfectly. Compared to the lithe and slender princes she had met over the years, he was a welcome change of scenery. Mario was definitely much stockier than any of those wannabe heroes and usually ridiculed for being fatter than them too. However at the end of the day, Peach knew she could count on him no matter what happened.

"Master Mario!" Toadsworth cheered as he noticed the princess distracted and turned around "Excellent timing, I hope all is well given that dreadful storm last night."

He waved back "Hey Toadsworth, the house is still standing and it's nothing Weegie and I can't fix."

"And how is Master Luigi?"

"Still in Sarasaland with Daisy."

Peach placed her cup on her saucer "That's great for them, they make such a cute couple." She gestured to the chair opposite her "Please Mario, sit. Have some tea with me."

"Thanks Princess." He nervously asked "What happened to your jewelry? Well… not that you need them or anything… you still look beautiful regardless."

Peach nervously blushed at the compliment. Toadsworth answered on her behalf "I'm afraid the treasures of the Mushroom Kingdom have been ransacked by thugs during the night. Not only that but other items have gone missing too, like the opera hall's organ."

"So someone used the cover of the storm to loot? That sounds pretty clever actually." Mario accepted a cup of tea from the princess. He rolled his eyes "Fine, I'll go over to Wario's Castle this afternoon and get it all back."

Toadsworth theorised "I don't think this is purely the work of the Wario Brothers. Toadofsky told me who stole the organ, he identified two of his assailants. One was a Toad woman who wore a Spiny Shell on top of a poison mushroom cap. The other was… well…" He apprehensively looked around, like uttering the name would summon him. "Ludwig von Koopa."

Mario nearly choked on his tea "Ludwig was there!?"

Peach nodded solemnly "Yes, so I fear Bowser may be involved as well."

"Not exactly, think about it, since when has the Koopa Kingdom ever welcomed Toads into their ranks?" Mario rapped his fingers on the table as he added "Besides, Ludwig has been… missing from the Koopalings for over a year now. Every time Luigi and I have gone after them, we've seen Larry, Lemmy, Roy, Morton, Wendy, Iggy and Bowser Jr, but no Ludwig. Not even a trace of him. Come to think of it, we haven't really seen the Koopalings, well... aside from Bowser Jr, working with Bowser for quite some time now. They're always scattered in random places… like they were looking for something. Unless it's one of Bowser's schemes." He paused in thought "So why would Ludwig come back now?"

Toadsworth nodded to himself "More perplexing is the insignia Ludwig and this Toad woman had on their persons. It is described as a brass gear with a lightning bolt through it. Have you ever seen such a thing in your travels?" Mario shook his head, Toadsworth sighed to himself "Very well, I'll keep listening to the townspeople and see if there are any more witnesses. If you'll excuse me, Good Day." He bowed before he left them alone in the courtyard and hurried inside.

"That's not the only troubling thing," Peach placed a bundle of cloth on the table "I found this sewn into one of my jewelry boxes. It's beautiful, but I haven't the slightest idea of what it is." Mario unfurled the cloth to find the strange diamond, reflecting a kaleidoscope of colours beneath the sunlight. She gestured to him to fold it up again "You're the only one I've shown so far. I'd like to check the archives before I make it known to the rest of the castle."

Mario sighed "It's almost like whoever robbed you gave you payment for the jewelry."

"I've seen many diamonds in my time, but never one that reflects the light like this."

"Well, I know someone who might." Mario shivered at the thought "Looks like I have to find Wario sooner or later."

Peach nervously asked "Does he really need to get involved?"

"Regardless of who he is, he knows treasure and he knows gems. So he's our best lead into finding out what that jewel is and where it might have come from."

"Very well, I'll look into the archives and see what I can find out as well."

"Shall we meet for dinner later? We can discuss our findings."

She smiled back to him "That sounds ideal, Mario. Shall we say around eight?"

Mario nodded back, rising from his seat. He took a bow as a way of saying farewell before taking his leave of the courtyard. As he made his way back through the castles another strange occurrence had been unveiled. A frantic chef was screeching at the top of his lungs "The cellar has been completely looted! All the wine is gone!"

Mario paused momentarily, sure everyone enjoyed a glass or two every so often. But he never knew anyone who would be driven to stealing from the cellar under any circumstances. Let alone clearing it out completely. Regardless of this nuance, he remained focused on the task at hand and left the castle in search of Wario.


	3. Old Rivals and perhaps a new one

The noose's shadow stretched far towards the wall with the crawling journey of the sun. The gallows of the plaza remained isolated despite being surrounded by bustling mobs. Rogueport was synonymous with being wicked. Not the same level as evil conjured by the mention of the Dark Lands, but a more tolerable form of maliciousness. Many people who made their home in this seaside town were rarely welcomed to the Mushroom Kingdom with open arms. The legends of the town's founding only added to the atmosphere, the tales of four heroes battling against the Shadow Queen herself. Of course, these legends were proven true with time when Mario and Princess Peach interfered. Yet in the aftermath of the chaos, the town did not just survive, it thrived.

A familiar ship, decorated to resemble a treasure chest, had been docked in the harbour. The very sight of it made Wario's blood boil. If the Sweet Stuff was in town, then that meant _she_ was nearby. Given his past with the Black Sugar Pirates, he was not enthusiastic about them being so close to his favourite castle a few hours from Rogueport. He stomped down the main street, the walls nearly shaking. Peddlers and merchants were about to present their wares until they saw the rage on his ugly face, they tediously backed away to let the brute charge onwards.

"I still don't get why you're so worked up. So what if there's a freaky ship docked here?" Waluigi followed along in tow, casually taking his time as three stomps from Wario could be matched with one step of his lanky frame. They were walking extremes of human physiology with similar light brown hair and black zigzag moustaches.

Wario growled back without turning "That freaky ship belongs to Syrup."

"Never heard of her," Waluigi considered purchasing some more piranha plant chow absentmindedly as he noticed the prices at a passing stall. "But obviously you do."

"She was the captain of the Black Sugar Pirates, robbed me blind a few times. Syrup is a total miser and the greediest person I know, always stealing without putting the work in. She's so bad, she disbanded her crew so she wouldn't have to share her loot."

"Gee, how awful. Now tell me, have you paid your workers over in Diamond City yet?"

The reply came in a series of growling curses. Waluigi smirked to himself, Wario was so easy to wind up when he was enraged. Still he was somewhat curious to meet a woman that was as avaricious as him. "So, what does she look like anyway?" He casually remarked "All I can picture is you in a dress and a wig."

"Enough with the sass before I break your jaw. She'll be in a tavern, somewhere close to gambling, no doubt about it."

"That's means Don Pianta's turf. Are you sure we should be going there given what happened last time?"

"If he didn't want his warehouse to blow up, he shouldn't be storing bombs near open fire flowers… more importantly, he shouldn't be stealing MY fire flowers."

Waluigi rolled his eyes, neglecting to mention that they were the ones to put them in the warehouse to begin with "Right."

They kept the alleyways of the western district, Don Pianta's turf. Maintained to look pristine for incoming patrons from Poshley Heights and Glitzville, really it was all just a scam to wring as much money as possible from unsuspecting tourists. Eventually Wario spied a gilded door, the echo of a familiar laugh immediately made him smash it open. The tavern was high class without being excessive, glimmer and riches without being up itself. At this time of day there were not many conscious patrons, most were either too drunk from the previous night or too tired to pay them any attention.

At a booth in the back corner sat a dangerous, yet alluring woman. Wild waves of red curls were held back by a violet bandana to show off large gold earrings. She was dressed in a purple singlet and wristbands, black trousers, leather boots and a leather waist cincher with an octopus decal. Her crimson eyes were framed a little heavily with cyan eye shadow but it did not diminish her roguish beauty and charm in any way. As Wario stomped towards her, he realised he had no idea what to say.

Syrup smiled, paying no heed to the angry juggernaut heading her way "So Scaramouch, how soon can you remodel my canons for me?"

"Well," the Toad maiden adjusted her Spiney shell helm. A tail of purple hair poked beneath her mushroom cap. Her clothes varied in shades of grey, purple and pink. Striped sleeves and gloves covered her arms, a dress of grey lined with lace was torn short to allow her trouser covered legs and boots show. "About a week or so."

"Excellent, so what do you want as payment? Or would you prefer to speak with Diabella first?" Syrup smiled, taking a sip from her tankard as she spied the gear shaped clasp on the belts around Scaramouch's waist.

"She's not my master and I'm not her minion, I don't need to consult her every time I make a decision." Scaramouch replied indignantly "Honestly, you make us sound no better than those aloof aristocratic pigs who are relics of a time of opulence, leading our civilisations into stagnation until we-"

"Relax, my dear, I was merely joking." Syrup glanced over her shoulder "Speaking of jokes, here comes two walking ones."

Scaramouch moved in her seat to see past the captain's bosom "Wow… what are they?"

They appeared to be human shaped, but their discoloured noses, pointed ears, strange bodies and even more puzzling facial hair begged to differ. The shorter one looked about the height of a Pianta, minus the tree, but his body was grossly exaggerated by both fat and muscle. A yellow cap balanced on his squarish head, he wore a short sleeve shirt to show off his beefy arms but his purple overalls could not hide his prodigious gut. The taller one was the polar opposite, possibly twice the other's height if he stood up straight and had a more triangular face compared to his cohort. A hand went to his dark purple cap as he dropped his head to dodge the lower hanging lights. He was clad in black overalls over a long sleeved shirt the same hue as his hat.

Scaramouch narrowed her eyes at them as they arrived at the table. Her voice was loud, almost defiant as she asked Syrup "So who's the stinking butterball and the rickets man?"

Wario snarled "Stinking butterball!? Look you warty little toad! You don't know who you're messing with!"

"Rickets?" Waluigi glanced at his legs, then back at her "There's nothing wrong with my legs!"

"Forget this, I don't want to kill brain cells talking to you two. I'm out Syrup, I'll be in touch. Propaganda to spread, minds to corrupt, things to explode." Scaramouch jumped down from her seat and breezed right past them without a second thought.

Syrup laughed out loud, wiping a tear from her eye "She has no filter on her brain… at all." She looked over at them "Long time, no see Wario and…" a blank expression crossed her face at the sight of Waluigi "Does he pay you to dress and look like that?"

"No…" Waluigi saw the blood vessel about to burst on Wario's head, he laughed to himself "So you're Captain Syrup?"

"Aye."

"I'm Waluigi, if you ask him," he gestured to Wario as he took a seat "I'm his traitor friend."

"Ok," Syrup looked between them both "You two aren't related? Not even a little bit?" Waluigi shook his head, Syrup slammed her tankard on the table "Well then, speak up, what do you want from the most beautiful pirate to ever set sail?"

"I just tagged along to see what his problem is with you." He rested his hands behind his head and stretched "I could use a good laugh."

Wario smashed the table in splintered halves with an enraged punch "What brings you here!? You planning something!?"

"That was unnecessary." Syrup remarked with frosty detachment, she tossed her dented tankard over her shoulder. "And what makes you think I'm planning anything? A pretty bad storm has blown through so the seas aren't safe right now."

"That toad girl, who was she? What schemes are you playing at?"

"I love how direct you are, that girl is Scaramouch. She hails from lands beyond the Thwomp Ruins, you know, one of those regions that aren't anywhere near the Star Road."

Waluigi tilted his head "Scary moose?"

"Scaramouch," Syrup corrected, her words were sweet but were laced with venom "She's a revolutionary in training, very good with ballistics and explosives too." She rose to her feet glaring at Wario "Not that she'd ever work for you."

Wario boasted "I got enough half-wits to do my dirty work." Which earned a frown from Waluigi.

"See you later, handsome." Syrup smirked cruelly with that remark as she strode away. Wario could do nothing more than grit his teeth, fists clenched as he tried to think clearly.

Waluigi teased "Is it my imagination or were you checking her out a bit?"

"That hag!? That's disgusting! Why would you even think that!?"

"What's that?" Waluigi leant over to where Syrup was sitting, retrieving a slip of parchment from between the cushions. "Looks important…" He unfolded it.

"She's definitely up to something, I know it."

"Yeah, she's going after a diamond the size of your fist."

Wario instantly snapped out of his rage, he snatched the parchment from Waluigi's grasp to see it was a treasure map. A few kilometres from town, in a nearby mountain was a cave marked with an 'x'. In the corner was a schematic of a rare looking gemstone, the words 'star diamond' scrawled hastily beneath it. Wario's eyebrow cocked "A Star Diamond? Never heard of it… but, it could be valuable to the Mushroom Kingdom. They love stars."

"Why does it always have to be stars?" Waluigi mused out loud "Stars are stupid."

"Doesn't matter, let's get going. We need to beat her to it!"

"Will you be calming down at all? Your brain stops working when you get emotional."

"My brain is fine!" Wario snarled back.

They both nearly sprinted from the tavern, storming back through the plaza with the subtlety of a stampede. Wario knew this area better than anyone, he'd lived out here for years before purchasing more property throughout the world. The forests nearby were as familiar as the back of his hand. He knew he would find the treasure before Syrup even worked out which part of the forest she was supposed to be in.

* * *

Aboard the Sweet Stuff, Syrup kicked back in her cabin, her feet resting on the table as she sipped at her glass of rum. The room reflected her demeanour, looking absolutely beautiful by the abundance of rare treasures and shades of purples. At the same time it was also dangerous by the racks of cutlasses and rapiers on display. She said sadly to the woman opposite her "I'm running a little low on rum, may I refill my stock when I visit Rhapsody next?"

"I'll distil you a batch." Diabella smiled, taking a deep gulp from her hip flask.

Syrup coughed a little "Whoa, that's potent! I can smell it over here." She covered her nose with a handkerchief "How do you drink that stuff and still live!?"

Diabella shrugged back with a smug look on her face "The secret ingredient is gun powder." She winked back "Gives it a spicy kick."

"And once again you're not going to give me any straight answers."

"We've known each other long enough to know that we don't need to be up in each other's business all the time."

Syrup sat back in her seat to look at the enigma she knew as Diabella. The woman looked like she had not slept in decades, her hair streaked with three deep purple zigzags. Her lab uniform was peculiar, the main overcoat was sleeveless and buttoned over her torso, the lower buttons were left undone to freely float around her legs like a skirt with a split in it. Her legs were covered in layers, a purple and black striped tights beneath a pair of black shorts with leather boots. Around her waist was a thick leather belt with a curved overskirt looping around her hips. She looked like an antiquated relic from a simpler time that never changed with the rest of the world.

"So, where does this guy keep his mechanical stuff?"

Syrup was brought back to reality by the query, she casually retrieved the blueprints of Wario's castle and proceeded to explain every trick and trap.


	4. A strange turn of events

The trees blurred past in a green haze as Waluigi struggled to keep pace with Wario. He seemed to be blessed with inhuman strength and agility whenever treasure was involved. The treetop canopy over the earth grew denser the further they ventured. Soon it was near impossible to tell where you were or the time of day. Everything looked identical in that it was a wild tangle of plants.

Waluigi grabbed Wario by the shoulder, skidding to a halt "Do you even know where we are?"

"Of course I do!" He responded, producing the map once more "Oh wait… I think we're in the wrong direction… hang on…" His brow furrowed as he shouted "This map is wrong!"

"You mean it's fake!?"

"No, it's just mapped to the layout of the forest during winter, not summer."

Waluigi kicked a nearby stone with boredom "Is there really that much of a difference?"

"More than you'd think. Whole cave entrances can vanish with the seasonal rains, chasms can be crossed at different times… we're kind of lost now." Wario looked around, he could not decipher where they had come from either.

The trails navigating these woods tended to thin out the further you wandered from the main roads between Rogueport and the Mushroom Kingdom. It served as a relatively safe passage nestled between mountain ranges. The uninhabited woods proved hostile as you trespassed into nature's domain. He could even recall times when bandits had tried to start a hideout in this place only to run back to Rogueport, deeming it too difficult to live in. Wario sat on a nearby boulder to think carefully about how to find some way to navigate their way back out.

Waluigi swatted a moth away from him "I got out of bed early for this!?"

"Well, what were you doing at four in morning!? I heard you stumbling through the hallways."

"My piranha plant was being a jerk… so I punched it… then it bit me."

Wario laughed loudly "And you're the one always bragging about how smart you are."

A cheerful voice intervened "You two shouldn't be fighting, come on, it's a lovely day to go wandering in the forest."

Both of them let out a screech as Waluigi leapt back, nearby tripping over his legs while Wario fell right off his rock. An alabaster Boo materialised from the air, her eyes were lined and curled with deep turquoise. A leather and brass backpack was strapped to her as she hovered with quill and book in hand. She smiled, revealing rows of fangs dripping with ectoplasm.

Wario rudely corrected "We're not wandering, lady, we're looking for something and it's none of your damn business!"

Waluigi waved his arms then pointed to her "Wait, neutral or King Boo loyalist?"

She tilted her head or in her case, her whole being "Neutral… why?"

"No reason, just making polite conversation."

"Wait a minute," she glanced between them "You're Wario and Waluigi, King Boo's always complaining how you trash the manors looking for treasure. You should probably stop that, I for one can say there isn't really anything of value left. It's all antiquated."

"No, that's what people say when they've really got something valuable," Wario picked his nose "So what brings a marshmallow with fangs this far out from the twisted manors?"

"I'm a cartographer, a very good one at that, I've been trying to draft a suitable map for this area but alas, I'm having some trouble."

"Join the club."

"Oddly enough I saw a cave a mile or so in that direction." She pointed the way out "I've never even seen it before until now."

Wario and Waluigi's pointed ears pricked up at the sound of it. Knowing smirked appeared on their faces. Waluigi politely asked "You wouldn't mind showing us, would you?"

"Not at all, come on. Oh, by the way, my name is Gallileo!" She beamed back to them as she floated ahead of them.

The cave revealed itself much sooner than expected. Wario could not believe he was this close and actually thinking of giving up only moment ago. Perhaps luck wanted him to have this treasure before Syrup. Gallileo waved to them both before disappearing into the cave, luring them into the narrow, cold darkness. This cave nearly reeked of treasure, people always stashed good loot in unwelcoming places. Wario was confident they would find a giant diamond as he strode confidently. It was very short lived as they came to a dead end. The sudden end of the floor of the cavern trailed down into nothingness. The echo of rushing water deafened their senses for a moment as Wario and Waluigi realised they had come all this way for nothing.

"You…" Wario gritted through his teeth, he turned on his heels to scowl at Gallileo "What trick is this!?"

She nervously floated back from the enraged treasure hunters. Even though she was a ghost, she had a feeling they would still hurt her. "What trick? Don't be ridiculous I was just exploring and thought you guys might be interested. The river at the bottom of this chasm probably heads out to sea."

Waluigi thundered "We don't care about some stupid river!"

"Calm down! There's no need to overreact!" Gallileo instinctively covered her face as she floated over the empty space leading to a deadly drop. By the time they realised they were close to the boundary of the cavern floor, it was too late. Something solid smashed into their backs with the force of oncoming traffic. Wario and Waluigi vanished into the darkness bellow with a howl.

Gallileo uncovered her face to see the cause of the final push. A koopa stood at the cliff edge smiling smugly and slowly nodding his head while posing with a giant mallet almost as large as he. His skill in wielding it, along with his larger shell proved that he was a Hammer Bro. His helm was made of a mix of leather and metal, a pair of brass and steel headphones never left his head or ears. The neon green chord led back to a strange rectangular contraption on his thick leather belt. He was wearing a dark green and blue shirt beneath a leather coat strapped around him.

Gallileo mouthed the words "Thanks Figaro," as he never took his head phones off and never spoke a word. Figaro answered with a gentlemanly bow as he swang his hammer over one shoulder and soldiered off, back towards the forest.

* * *

Dusk was settling in as the late afternoon blurred into night, Mario could not believe how long it would take to get out of Toad Town. But it was against his nature to ignore any pleas from nearby Toads and he always obliged to help them any way he could. He sighed to himself, his house still needed some repairs done too. Alone he walked along the beaten track that diverted from the main road leading to Rogueport. Most dared not travel it as it led to Wario's castle. The imposing structure rose from the horizon, unlike most castles that reflected the personas of their rulers. Wario's castle was surprisingly normal to gaze upon. The high walls concealed any aspect of the interior, cannons were perched up high. The grand gate was impenetrable and marked with the same insignia found on Wario's cap.

Upon closer inspection, Mario saw that all was not well in the castle. The entire western wall had been smashed to pieces. The perpetrator of this crime appeared to be a looming shadow within. Mario quickened his walk into a sprint, ignoring the untouched gates and running around to the broken wall. He did not falter, his face masked the shock of the sight before him. Within the walls and crawling over building was a truly giant insect, easily the size of a house. Eight strong beetle legs allowed it to grasp and explore like a curious child. Its chitin encased body tapered at the waist like a spider however it possessed a series of sclerites that protected its main body. It also possessed four compound eyes and iridescent chelicerae framed by a pair of terrifying looking mandibles.

"This thing's almost as bad as Lemmy…" Mario commented to himself as he watched it skip and jump from surface to surface. It did not appear to be a foe though, it mostly seemed to keep to itself. Something was not right, if even a bird defecated on the roof Wario threw a fit and then proceeded to fire cannonballs at the wrongdoer. Mario carefully advanced into the unkempt outer gardens where he noticed a door jarred roughly open. Double checking to make sure the large bug was preoccupied, Mario snuck into the castle.

The halls were dark and devoid of any sign of either Wario or Waluigi. Carefully Mario explored the castle passages, gazing into opened doors cautiously. What he quickly learnt is that Wario was possibly the greatest filth wizard in the land. Everything about his castle made a bomb site look tidy. He did not even bother hiding all the treasure he had stolen, most of it splayed across the ground as piles of gold. Perhaps he had given up on trying to formally organise it all. Still it was peculiar that there did not seem to be anyone around. Mario doubted either of them could not notice a giant monster insect crawling on the outer walls. He shivered slightly, it was deceptively cold in here.

A door slightly opened sent a sliver of light across the floor. He silently approached it, carefully looking through the crack to see what was going on. Within was Wario's workshop, his pride and joy where he stored all kinds of mechanical inventions. Even the Wario Car, the Waluigi Racer and his beloved motorcycle were parked to the side. It was possibly the only tidy and properly organised room in the entire castle. At that moment a large sack was in the middle of the room, near bursting with all manner of mechanical gizmos and tools Mario could not identify.

Perched on a stool at the far end of the room was a tall woman with wild silver hair streaked with purple. From this angle he could see a large mechanical backpack strapped to her with red and blue wires leading from it, down her arms to disappear into her long leather gloves. With red marker in hand she was drawing on the various blueprints pinned to the walls. It appeared that she was actually correcting them. Her movements hesitated for a moment as she heard the door behind her creak slightly. She turned, her eyes hidden by goggles tinted with neon green lenses. The strange contraption on her back was held over her garbed body with an elaborate set of leather belts to make a harness. The leather breastplate bore the insignia of a brass gear with a lightning bolt through it.

She did not say a word, only raised her hand to reveal the end point of the wires. A strange metal disc whirled with gears as a ball of electrical energy gathered into an orb. She flung it wildly, the orb erupting into unbridled streaks of lightning as they struck the door. Before Mario could pick himself up, he watched her leave her seat and gather her bag. She called loudly "Bismillah! Come here girl, it's time to go!"

The large spider-ish beetle smashed through the wall clumsily like a happy puppy. The layers of sclerite over its abdomen folded aside to reveal a series of wings that crackled with electricity. Casually she bounded upwards and onto its head. The monster purring beneath her presence as it reared back and soared into the twilight sky.

"She… she didn't even speak to me… or even acknowledge me… who was that?" He mused to himself, taken aback by her actions. Mario was so used to villains happily monologue-ing their intent that it was difficult to comprehend what exactly this woman was. She clearly looked like some kind of villain, dressed like a mad scientist, throwing lightning without a care and owning a giant bug. But this was utterly perplexing to him.

"You just survived an encounter with the Lightning Queen." Vapour materialised from the cool air and solidified into droplets of water. They swirled in the air to come together to make the shape of a star. "Do not fear me, it has been centuries since my kingdom has even tried contacting yours."

Mario scratched his head "Please, explain yourself."

"This water star is an extension of my power and a brief one at that, so I must be quick. I am Princess Shalazia of the Arcane Kingdom and I fear my rival has stepped out of line. I sense you are a Star Child… this means you are very powerful hero, will you help me?"

"I don't know if I can, I don't even know where the Arcane Kingdom is. Besides, the Mushroom Kingdom is still rebuilding itself after that storm."

"But that storm was the Lightning Queen's doing! We should unite against her!"

"First, we need to tend to the damages she did, besides where is the Arcane Kingdom?"

"I see, you care deeply for you people. It shows you are a true hero… my kingdom lies in a region not shone upon by the Star Road."

"The Dark Lands!?"

"No, think the other direction. Beyond the Thwomp Ruins!" The droplets wavered "I fear my powers have grown weak, but please, I beg of you! O hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, please help me and we can get rid of her once and for all!"

The water star vanished into the air once more. Mario stood among the rubble of the door stunned momentarily. He was then suddenly overwhelmed to rush back to the Mushroom Kingdom. He had found the owner of the mysterious insignia, what was more troubling was the sudden intervention by a faraway princess. It all seemed a little too convenient for his liking.


	5. The end of a not so pleasant day

Peach remained seated at the dining table, glancing over at the clock continuously. At the bequest of her servants she had already dined alone. However the late hours of the night rolled on with no sign of Mario. Peach began to fear the worst, after all Wario was hardly a good natured and understanding man. He was probably bribing Mario into helping him some shady scheme in exchange for information. She considered arming her beloved parasol and charging over to the castle herself. The sound of the doors quietly swinging open diverted her thoughts.

Mario walked towards her "Sorry I'm late, something… odd happened."

"Are you alright?"

He took a seat opposite her like he had done so that morning "Yes, but, I know who owns that insignia Toadsworth mentioned and worse is that she's some kind of lightning wielding maniac."

"She? And lightning!? What happened!? I want every little detail." Mario recounted the tale carefully, the princess nodded her head as she hung on his every word. A frown appeared on her face "So… the Lightning Queen is tormenting a kingdom in a land beyond the Star Road. We have to do something to help, we can't just let someone like that get away with doing whatever they please."

"I agree, back at Wario's castle, she just glanced in my direction and fired a blast of lightning at me. It's like she doesn't feel anything… but," He then reluctantly admitted "What does it even mean when a land is beyond the Star Road anyway?"

Peach gently laughed to herself, he was rather cute when he was clueless. She informed without sounding rude or patronising "The Star Road as you know is where all the star spirits dwell and watch over the world. However it can only reach a certain limit as it is stretched in the sky. As a result there are two regions of the world where the stars cannot bestow their gifts. One of them is the Dark Lands, however the second area is found by going beyond the mountain borders, the Thwomp Ruins act as the gateway." She let out a sigh "But I'm afraid there is little information about the area other than it's surrounded by oceans and it houses the Arcane Kingdom, a place where magic has evolved on a far greater level than anywhere else in the world. There are also whispers of a town out there called Rhapsody, where the greatest minds can work in peace," Peach tittered under her breath as she shooed the very mention of it away "But that's more of an urban legend. There's nothing to prove it even exists."

Mario leant a little closer "Has there been much contact between the Mushroom and Arcane Kingdoms?"

"Maybe centuries ago, they were allies in the great wars against the Koopa Kingdom before they were exiled to the Dark Lands." Peach smiled to him "Regardless, our next clues may be found in the Arcane Kingdom. Perhaps we should visit this Princess Shalazia and see what she can tell us."

He slyly smirked back to her "You just want to go on an adventure again."

"Is it that obvious? Besides I think it would be fun to see another land. It could be very good for trading. But first, I must get the Mushroom Kingdom back to normal."

"It's probably better if we wait a bit, Luigi should be back later next week so we can all go together."

Peach nodded back to him with an angelic grin. They spent the rest of the night making travel preparations and restoration plans. Even though the call of a new world beckoned them, they still had a duty to keep to their kingdom.

* * *

The air was so tense you could cut it with a knife. Wario and Waluigi stomped back from the shoreline where they had washed up. Gallileo had been right, the river did end into the sea, but they did not appreciate finding that out first hand. The sandy ground slowly rejuvenated with grass the further inland they went. Fortunately, his castle was not far from where they had emerged. Soaking footsteps cut through the songs of crickets as they trudged up the main path in total silence. Both of them were so enraged by the other and by Gallileo that they just wanted to be left alone.

When Wario came to main gate, he proceeded to open it and storm inside without noticing that half the outer wall was smashed to pieces. Waluigi did notice this though, he quickened his pace to catch up with his friend. Almost strangling him in the process, Waluigi grabbed Wario by his fat neck with both hands and dragged him back into the main doorway. Before Wario could protest, he merely pointed to the smashed wall. Like glass breaking, the realisation dawned on Wario.

He shouted with blind fury "WHO DID THIS!?" as he charged onwards through the doors to his home.

Waluigi entered the main hall, trying to deduce where Wario had run off first. A quick look around proved that nothing was out of place or taken. Blue green mould was gathered in some of the corners that were not present this morning. Waluigi made a mental note to let his piranha plants loose to tidy that bit up. Confusion settled in as he saw his breath turn to mist before his eyes. His pace was more quiet and sneaky as he carefully searched the hallways for intruders. He knew something was not right and that someone was watching him. The mould swirled on the walls behind him, pulsing and hunting him.

The entire situation baffled Wario as he systematically checked each and every room. No gem was so much as moved. No coins were spilled out of place. No chests or locks were broken open. It was clear the castle perimeter had been breached but no sign of theft. Unless the perpetrators were still in the castle, with caution, he continued his search. Eventually arriving at the smashed door of his workshop, he fell silent at the horror before him. The roof had collapsed in, obviously the point of exit, yet how it had been achieved was still a mystery. His workshop was a mess, the finished devices and machines he had built were untouched. It was the scrap parts and tools that had been pillaged. To add further insult, his schematics and blueprints had been vandalised with bright red pen.

He raced to the wall to see the extent of the defacement "Months of experimenting and planning down the gurgler… wait," He paused and carefully read what the red writing "I guess I could increase engine output by thirty percent if I changed that, hmm… replace that metal casing with crystal fibre? Much lighter and stronger… What is crystal fibr- oh… the equation for making it is right here." Wario stepped back and threw his arms in the air "Who would break into a house just to add comments to a bunch of blueprints!?" He screamed, an angry fist raised to the sky "If this is payment for taking my stuff then we are NOT EVEN!"

The muffled yells of Waluigi echoed from the hallway nearby. Wario stopped yelling at nothing to go see what was going on. He was greeted by the sight of a giant festering entity of water and mould. It vaguely took the shape of a person as it messily crawled towards the doorway. Waluigi's legs were flailing wildly from its shoulder.

"Oh come on! I remembered to flush last time!" Wario cursed to no one in particular. He jumped back to avoid an overarching sweep of one of its spongy arms. Even though it only seemed to getting the hallway wet, Wario knew he could not fight this thing with brute force. It was just too squishy to inflict any damage with punches and kicks.

He ran back into his workshop to grab various electrified wires plugged into one of the generators. Completely unfazed by the monstrosity before him, he whipped the cables into the overgrown mould. It crackled and recoiled as the voltage surged through, forcing it to lose its form and revert to a puddle of rancid mould on the ground. He cautiously moved the live wires to the side with a wooden pole before approaching the remains of the intruder.

Waluigi felt himself roughly pulled into an upright position, glaring at his friend he remarked "You couldn't have pulled me out first!?"

"Yes, I could have, but I didn't." Wario laughed rudely, dragging Waluigi back into the workshop "Besides, you're the idiot who got stuck."

"It jumped on top of me. I have no idea where it came from." Waluigi could only feel pins and needles through his body, he was like a living ragdoll as Wario propped him up against a work bench. Oddly the unnatural coldness in the air had vanished with the death of the mould monster.

Wario continued to tidy up the room, even if his castle was a junk heap he could not stand for a dirty working area. "It probably belonged to whoever ransacked this place."

"Was anything sto-" Waluigi fell silent as he saw the state of the workshop "Well… do you have any ideas of who it might be? Have you pissed off anyone lately?"

"No, well, maybe, I can't keep track of these things."

"None of the treasure was touched."

"I know, so it probably wasn't Syrup."

"Strange I didn't mention her at all."

Wario's face flushed red to Waluigi's laughter. "Shut up!" he busied himself with opening various drawers to find them all empty. "Who would take scrap parts anyway?"

"What about that Scaramouch girl? The one who was with Syrup, wasn't she into ballistics?"

"I dunno," A dislodged draw triggered an unfamiliar rattle against metal.

"Yeah, either way, I think we need to find Syrup again. Regardless of what you say." Waluigi grew perplexed by his sudden silence "Wario? Are you even listening to me?"

Wario came to face him with a giant diamond in his hand the size of a grown man's fist. It was a pentagonal cut with perfect clarity. He admired the gem closely "Peruzzi cut, pretty old school at that. This was probably cut before bruting was introduced. The brilliance of the gem is… well, I've never seen anything like it before. Maybe today wasn't such a waste of time."

"But where did that even come from?"

"Found it, never knew I had a gem like this."

Waluigi had a discerning glare "Looks a lot like the gem drawn on Syrup's map."

"So that means… this is…" Wario paused as the cogs ticked in his brain "The Star Diamond was here all along? What a stupid map."

"I think that mould knew it too, it seemed pretty eager to crawl towards the workshop." Waluigi shook his head as he endeavoured to stand up "How did you know how to kill it anyway?"

"It was mostly water, stuff that's watery hates electricity." Wario was too preoccupied with the diamond to notice Waluigi's concern.

"Wario? Hey!" He snapped his bony fingers a few times, with that failing he then waved a few gold coins in the air. "Look, don't you care about who did this!?"

A huge grin appeared on Wario's face "You're right, if they left this diamond behind, what other treasure do they have!? Think of the possibilities!"

"Personally I'm more interested in why any sane person would leave a diamond behind, but whatever, if it gets you motivated to do something about it."

"Alright, first thing tomorrow we track down Syrup again and get information from her."

"Wouldn't it be better to rebuild the smashed walls first?"

"Nope, treasure first, repairs later."

Waluigi shook his head as he stumbled away, by now he had enough and just wanted to crawl into bed. He could hear Wario still rummaging through the workshop behind him as he closed the door. The passageway was still drenched and partially decorated with pieces of moss. Waluigi threw his arms up in the air and shooed it all away, a part of him wished it would all magically disappear with his wild gestures.


	6. Wait, why do we want Ludwig back?

Tall columns reached for the sky, tangles of red fabric danced in the gentle breeze. The afternoon sun cast shadows that lazily stretched over the grassy earth. Azure water danced through the ancient canals as it streaked the floor of the ancient ruins. The walls held an ominous tale though as it was paved with dead Thwomps. Their angry faces cast in stone and never to shift again, only allowed to glare at any fools who dared trespass. Isolated by mountain ranges, only a tiny sliver of these ruins were even deemed safe to venture through. This area was quickly transformed to become a racing track known as the Thwomp Ruins due to the presence of the living statues.

At the entrance of a tunnel vanishing into the mountains stood two foolhardy travellers. There were Koopas but much taller, bipedal and possessed spiked shells on their backs. They reluctantly glared at the corridor, occasionally throwing stones down it to hear the echoes. There was no telling what awaited them should they enter. One was rather short and slender with a sky blue shell. His scales were tan and yellow over his body but green around his head. A distinct blue star birthmark was on the side of his head, his icy blue hair was styled in a rough Mohawk to show it off. Two long fangs hung over his lopsided grin, his large turquoise eyes glimmered as he casually remarked "Morton, you're way bigger than me, you should go first."

His cohort was nothing short of intimidating, still a teenager and already he was almost as tall and strong as Bowser. Even now, Larry was scared of how he was easily twice his height when he stood up straight. Dark brown scales covered his body with white and tan on his head. A large star shaped birthmark covered his left eye. His thick eyebrows and the few filaments of hair he had were jet black, just like his shell. Four large fangs poked from the corners of his mouth. He only growled back to the sneaky Koopaling "If I brought my sledgehammer we could smash a new way through. But we aren't going down there! I mean really, are we idiots or something? We don't know anything about this place. I'm not about to risk dying for no reason."

"But the others are expecting us to."

"Then you go, I'm going to look around some more." Morton slapped the back of Larry's head before he stomped off in the opposite direction.

Larry shyly looked over his shoulder, back at the darkness before yelling "Hey wait up!"

Most days, Larry hated being only physically taller and larger than Lemmy and Wendy. To add further insult to injury, he was also the youngest of the group. That meant he was often the one that was undermined and overridden.

Morton watched the dandelions waver with the wind, scatters of white seedlings drifted off into the sky to the west. "You know, I don't think we're going to find anything here. I mean, it's been a year already… like wouldn't he have come back by now? We've been spending every spare moment looking for him… I don't think he's coming back."

"Surely you don't mean Ragewig von Eyebrows?" Larry mused aloud, pantomiming an uptight nobleman as he strode around with an exaggerated posh accent "Smugwig von Fat-gut would never just return, at least not without a formal apology or whatever he deems a dignified…uh… thing."

Morton laughed "How many different versions of his name have you come up with?"

"Too many because it's just so easy to mess with. Like Grumpwig von Tone-deaf."

"What's the deal with this place anyway? It's too… quiet."

Larry shook his head, the sounds of Thwomps smashing into the earth with rage in the background begged to differ. He remarked casually "We can't even fly past these mountains safely, I heard that if you try, a giant beam of light shoots out and-" he made extensive explosion noises with his mouth, his arms flailing enthusiastically in the process.

Morton knocked Larry on the head to bring him back to reality. He gestured back in the direction of their airship and the two youngest Koopalings made their way to their return voyage. Neither of them wanted to openly admit they even liked being here. There was something unsettling about the tranquillity of the ruins.

* * *

In depths of the Koopa Kingdom, close to the dungeons for easy access, Iggy stood back from his most recent invention. His chaotic laboratory had every advanced piece of equipment the Dark Lands had to offer. What exactly he created was often up to how he felt that day. Lately though, he often found himself looking between the schematics and the final product with rage and confusion. Nothing was working out like it should. He grabbed the rebuilt Bullet Bill launcher and threw it across the room with a shriek. The device smashed into pieces as it tumbled out the doorway and into the hall.

"THIS ISN'T RIGHT!" A gnarled claw hand snatched up the original blueprint "Why is this not working!?" Iggy adjusted his glasses, rubbing at his eyes at the same time "Maybe I need to adjust the measurements… or the blasting powder composition." His four fangs gnashed into his lower lip as the frustration mounted.

"Or maybe you could not throw things? You said you could fix it easily so why is it more broken than when I gave it to you!?" Roy lumbered into the laboratory with the smashed contraption in hand. A pair of dark pink cat-eyed sunglasses always hid his eyes. He frowned, his two long fangs emphasising his expression. "Whoa, when was the last time you slept? How long have you been down here?"

"Days, I think, I just… I gotta keep busy, so many ideas, so little time!"

Iggy could be seen in the cave like room, his being illuminated by the neon glow of the monitors and machines powering away around him. He was easily the tallest of the Koopalings with a lanky, thin body and elongated light green shell. Some days he seemed more snake like rather than Koopa. It was hard to believe that when he was a child he was near identical to Lemmy aside from his glasses. His height was amplified by the tall tuft of bright green hair from his head. His scales were tan and yellow with a little dark green around his face.

By comparison Roy was shorter and much wider and muscular, although not as large as Morton. His yellow and tan scales were complimented by hot pink on his bald head and a purple shell that hugged his broad shoulders. Like the rest of the male Koopalings, thick leather bands studded with spikes rested around his wrists. Seeing that Iggy was not going to give him any response, he placed the broken contraption on a nearby workbench.

Iggy waved his arm at him but did not turn around "Throw it out. It's junk, I can't do anything to fix it!"

Roy smirked back "I've seen you fix an airship engine in your sleep. What's with you? You're acting crazier than usual."

Iggy approached Roy about to say something when a childish voice screamed. "BOO!" which in turn sent Iggy leaping up onto Roy's head.

A giggle came from the shadows as the smallest of the Koopalings appeared from behind a counter. Lemmy balanced atop a bright circus ball as he playfully flipped into a handstand. He was around the size of a Toad with a harlequin Mohawk that ended in a thin ponytail at its base. A pair of orange bars upon the sides of his head contrasted against the green scales. An orange shell rested on his back, the rest of his scales were tan and yellow. His large eyes were permanently cross eyed and his tongue had a habit of playfully sticking out of his smiling mouth.

"So that's where you've been hiding?" Iggy remained perched on Roy's head "Good game of hide and seek, it's lasted about three days now."

"Yeah, I was gonna find you but then I found a cool top hat and then I lost it and then I fell asleep in that gap between the floors again." Lemmy shrugged as he flipped back to stand on his feet "I just lost track of time."

Roy shoved Iggy to the ground, adjusting his sunglasses as he glared at Lemmy. Although his efforts at being menacing were lost as Lemmy did not seem to process fear like normal creatures did. There was an unsettling evil of his own, hidden behind those wonky eyes, and Roy knew one day it would surface.

Lemmy sat cross legged "So what's the matter Iggy?"

His eye twitched uncontrollably "Has anyone heard from Ludwig at all? Seriously, this is getting crazy. How does someone just vanish like that? We've searched nearly everywhere in the world he would go and… and why are we the only ones that even care? You'd think Bowser would be more worried."

"Why?" Roy calmly answered "He doesn't need Ludwig anymore, he's got junior now. The troops aren't gonna say anything either because they're loyal to Bowser. As for us… wait, why do we want that blue haired snob back?" Roy looked up to find Iggy and Lemmy watching him expectantly. It was a little creepy how they could fall so easily in sync with each other like twins. "Well… he's kind of a jerk."

Iggy remarked "Well yeah, but he's pivotal to my thinking process. Just bouncing ideas off him makes it easier to keep my head clear. I mean, I've tried with each of you, but it's not the same… you guys are not as… uh…" He paused as Roy scowled back at him, he carefully changed the last word of his comment "Um… patient?"

Lemmy added "He was the best pillow ever."

Roy scratched his head "When he woke up he threw you out of the window, multiple times too."

"Yeah! That was awesome too!"

He shook his head, why did he even try understanding Lemmy?

"Larry misses having someone to play his games against and make fun of, even though I don't think any of his name calling really got to him." Iggy scratched his chin "Morton, I think he liked practicing his yelling to drown out the sound of Ludwig playing piano. As for Wendy…" He threw his arms up "I honestly don't know with her."

"How about you Roy?" Lemmy tilted his head innocently "You've been helping with the scouting missions so a part of you must want him back too."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm glad he's gone." Roy pointed to the remains of Bullet Bill launcher "And I want that fixed as soon as possible, Iggy." Then stormed out of the room, he ignored the pleas of the various prisoners in their cells to ascend the stairs.

* * *

The locked door also had a dead bolt slid across to stop any intruders. A girl needed her privacy and she sure as hell was not going to get it living in Bowser's Castle. It was not overly bad, it's just sometimes men did not realise that women were not the same as them. Wendy's bedroom was rather feminine with actual furniture that matched and shaded with purples and pinks. Perhaps the advantage to being the only girl is that anything she wanted, she got. Her room was cluttered with a wealth of jewelry, elegant display weapons and gowns that she secretly wore in private.

She was rather small among the Koopalings, being a little slimmer and taller than Larry. Her scales were yellow and tan while her shell was bright pink. Large blue eyes were framed with long eye lashes. Her lips were discoloured, giving an illusion of lip stick. Unlike her cohorts, she did not wear the spiked leather bracelets, preferring to wear large gold bangles. A pair of pink pumps had to be custom made to fit her clawed feet. A large pink bow spotted with white rested at the back of her head. She fiddled with her favourite necklace of red beads as she carefully looked over a map of the world.

Over the past year she had been able to cross out certain regions where Ludwig may have sought refuge in. As no one dared enter her room uninvited, it was safe to hide anything related to their search in there. It was hard to take when Bowser told them they were not his children and introduced them to Bowser Jr. Regardless of how they felt they had nowhere else to go, being Bowser's minions for so long had made them hated by most kingdoms. Ludwig had been there for them, the entire time, he was there to listen to their insecurities, their fears. Even though Wendy would never openly admit it, she did not care whether Ludwig came back or not. She just wanted to know if he was alright.

The map revealed that they had searched everywhere Ludwig could possibly go. They had searched enemy kingdoms as well just to be sure, even though they knew he would never get caught. Then again, there was that area that was relatively uncharted, the region beyond the Thwomp ruins. Larry and Morton had been sent out there to check out the mountain border. She hoped those two idiots would find something worthwhile.


	7. Maybe he doesn't want to come back

_The dungeon cell was solitary confinement, a dark stone room with only a candle to give light. He had gotten used to the cold floor by now. He had gotten used to waiting for Diabella to come and collect him. What followed was going to her laboratory where she would do her various tests. They were not as bad as he thought they would be, at first she was just taking measurements of his body along with hair, scale and more blood samples. Then came the physical tests, Ludwig found every aspect of his body pushed to limits so she could witness the capability of his species. The worst was when she tested his stamina and he was made to run until he passed out from exhaustion. There was usually little else he wanted to do other than sleep by the time he was allowed to go back to his cell._

_Over time she had asked him questions of where he was from, who he was. He kept the details of his life vague, merely saying he was a traveller. When she found out he was an aspiring musician despite a temporary deafness in his youth, she commanded that he play for her like some kind of servant. Before he knew it, he was in front of a keyboard while she worked at her desk. He attempted to play a tune as he always did. This was promptly followed by threats of amputating his hands when he messed up. Judging by what he had seen of her, he knew her threats were valid._

_Now curled up on the floor of his cell, Ludwig swore that the ground was slowly dampening. The door creaked open, he narrowed his eyes as the light stung a little._

_Diabella said "I got some good news and bad news."_

_He sighed "Well, give me the bad news first."_

"_Bad news, the seasons have turned and this entire section of the catacombs will be flooded within the week." She smirked wickedly "The good news is that I have all the information I need now. You're free to go. I recommend you stop by Rhapsody on your way out though, get yourself cleaned up, get a decent feed, then you can go on your way."_

_Ludwig could do nothing more than blink as Diabella calmly disappeared._

* * *

The small apartment was cluttered with towers of pages and books. Walls and floor partially made of wood and metal plating. The décor carried shades of royal blue that contrasted nicely against the swirling metallic embellishments on the furniture. A relatively clean desk took up most of the back wall near the book cases. Various enchanted gems and vellum were stretched over it, a half built sceptre rested on the wood. A large bed was up against another wall opposite the door in. In the corner of the room was a grand piano, right now the keys danced to the will of the player. The notes carelessly wafted in the air before frantically charging, dipping, tempo shifting to become more menacing. Ludwig cursed under his breath as he lost his pace, the keys let out a surprised disjointed shriek as his fingers stopped moving properly. He stretched his back and shoulders, his whole body felt tight.

He carefully eyed the sheet music, a composition he had been working on for the past three days. For the life of him, he could not work out a suitable way to change the flow of it. It always felt so abrupt, so random which was not what he wanted for this particular piece. Thinking back, maybe he should thank Diabella for her threat of death unless he improved. In the months he was held in captivity, he had actually learned far more than he expected. Now he just had to work out the best way to apply his newfound knowledge.

The grand piano then creaked ominously, Ludwig looked back at the keys with curiosity. The instrument then bucked wildly, keys flaring upwards like fangs as it charged towards him. He toppled over his seat, his spiny shell nailing him to the wooden floor while sheet music rained everywhere. A little chuckle came from the piano as ectoplasmic vapour rose from it like steam.

"Gallileo," Ludwig growled as he rocked his body side to side, finally rolling over onto his front to stand up again "Can't you just knock on the door like normal people?"

The boo laughed back as she materialised "Come on Luddy," she giggled at the sight of his disapproving face "You needed someone to bring you back to the land of the living. The guys down at the clubs say you took some nights off and have been holed up in here for the past three days."

"The organ is still being installed in the main theatre downtown so I've decided it would be productive to work on a classical composition. Something more refined than the satirical and macabre tunes of the vaudeville."

She helped him pick up the scattered sheet music "So how's it going?"

He reluctantly admitted "Horribly."

"Well, you know the movie night is still on. I just came past to remind you and also to take your order, we were thinking of getting a few pizzas. I take it we need to order a meatlovers with extra chilli for you?"

Ludwig nodded, realising that he felt quite hollow inside at the mention of food. "What movies are we watching this evening?"

"It's a toss up, Koopazilla movies or the Sawguy saga?"

"Raging destruction between titanic monsters or mindless gory torture at the hands of a sociopathic Shy Guy?" Ludwig laughed to himself "Decisions, decisions. I'm in the mood for something humorous so I'd be pleased with either of those choices."

"No problem Ludwig, see you at my place, around nine please, and clean yourself up." Gallileo cackled as she vanished into the air again.

He placed the stack of pages back on the piano then padded off to the bathroom. Immediately turning the taps on fully to fill the tub, it was still early afternoon or more likely morning to most Rhapsody citizens. Looking in the reflection he saw what Gallileo had meant. His usually immaculate blue hair was a wild mess, reminiscent of his childhood when he was nicknamed Kooky. He carelessly scratched at his thick sideburns, a new addition from the past few months. According to Diabella it was a sign he would soon undergo the final growth process his species that starts in their mid-twenties. He then turned around to glance at his body, sure his stomach was more convex than he cared for, but he was not displeased with his appearance.

Although he was not sure what changes would happen to him. He did not have any details or knowledge of his birth parents to even guess what might occur. The only real clue he got was that his size would increase by at least a third and his shell would grow and develop thick plating. He laughed to himself at the thought, that meant after the next decade or so, he would be bigger than Bowser. It felt a little petty to him, but it seemed immensely satisfying to think about upstaging the one who raised you then effectively disowned you. With the bathtub full, Ludwig spent the next few hours grooming and cleaning himself.

After finally styling his hair in its usual parted and spiked waves, he pondered whether to put on an outfit. He laughed to himself as he reached for a charcoal dress shirt, of course it was heavily modified so a Koopa could wear it. How could he not wear something at night in Rhapsody? He slipped on his black waistcoat decorated with stripes of navy. A careful eye on the mirror as he looped his royal blue tie into an Atlantic knot, which he then slid beneath his waistcoat. Out of habit he put his usual spiked leather bracelets over the cuffs of his shirt. A glance at the clock revealed it to be around half past seven. With little else to do and looking rather dapper in his opinion, he decided to walk the boulevard before heading to Gallileo's.

* * *

He closed the metal door of his apartment to step out onto the balcony. The railings were made from swirls of brass. The walls of the buildings were steel as gears churned beneath exposed panels. The street lamps slowly stirred to life as night draped it dark cloak over the sky. Smoke stacks atop the tiled rooves yawned with steam. Ludwig looked over the main streets of Rhapsody with glee. It was an ingenious little industrial town partly immersed in the surrounding swamps. Hidden within the heart of the Malevolent Mires, beyond the ruined city, the treacherous crags, the wild overgrowth and the catacombs, was a bustling nocturnal playground. The buildings were actually supported by large platforms, pontoons and stilts to move with seasonal rainfall and the shifting terrain of the swamps. Every few months the main streets would change and channel visitors into other districts of the small town. The original settlers had crafted this town from the ruined husk of another. The architecture was a quilt of steel and stone speaking to an era long gone.

At the edge of it all, like the head of a table, was Diabella's laboratory. A rather twisted building half submerged into the overgrowth that pulses with electrical energy. A large chasm surrounded it, connecting to Rhapsody by a single bridge, the ring around it was actually the pens for some of her experiments and the kennels of her two most beloved creations. It looked so terrifyingly misplaced against the bright streets of Rhapsody. But it was necessary as it powered the town and without Diabella being here in the first place, it could never exist.

Ludwig calmly walked around the suspended pathway that led down to the boulevard level. He lived a little way out from the main arcades where the clubs were alive with cabaret and vaudevilles. The walls were either smeared with posters of popular acts or painted with murals from one of the many artists. They lifted the surrounding nature, the death and decay, to create a small oasis of harlequin beauty. The streets came to life beneath the colourful lights to draw patrons into the markets and restaurants. Every night felt like there was a festival on as people took to the streets. They were either visitors from beyond the swamps, who in all honesty are rather shady individuals, or tired bohemians in need of a few hours of mindless euphoria. Ludwig lost count the amount of times he saw members of the Pianta Syndicate and the Robbo Gang in the audience at the clubs he played. They would never fight though, lest they wanted the wrath of an entire city brought upon them.

Over the past year, he had built a reputation for himself as a keyboardist and improved immensely in not only playing piano but in playing many different styles of music. He still loved the sound of a grand piano, but he had slowly learnt to appreciate keyboards, harpsichords and organs. However he did not yet have the reputation to even entertain the idea of performing an original composition publically. That he learnt the hard way when some of the musicians critiqued his work harshly. It was a difficult realisation to accept, but Ludwig had to learn that in a town of creative minds, being your perceived best was not enough, you had to keep practising so you were better. It was a very cruel and humbling experience.

He finally came to his usual café, right on the waterfront with a nice view of the lagoon. The small building housed the counter and kitchen while the table settings were scattered over a large pontoon. The trail of rainbow fairy lights diverted his attention to the extensive glass cabinets at the front.

"Well, if it isn't the aspiring composer." Ludwig smirked at the Sammer guy behind the counter. Flaming Pants may have been a master of the fire flower, but he was also possibly the best baker Ludwig knew of. His metallic skin gleamed as he brandished a pen and pad. "Cappuccino as usual? Anything in the case take your fancy?"

"Those triple chocolate brownies look tempting." His eyes landed on something more alluring, he had to stop himself from drooling "Is that chocolate galaxy cake!?"

"Last quarter of the last cake. You know how quick it sells."

A Pianta in line piped up "I hope you're not planning on purchasing that because I saw it first!"

Flaming Pants cocked an eyebrow at the unruly Pianta. Ludwig shooed the annoying customer behind him without turning. He smirked to himself "You know, I think I'll take it, oh, and a dozen brownies to go too."

"Seriously, why do you even need it? You're fat enough already."

"You're really going with a fat comment? How pedestrian." He turned to face one of Don Pianta's goons, he frowned "Look who's talking."

"Well, there's easily two slices there. Why do you need all of it?"

"I don't think you realise the amazing delicacy that is a chocolate galaxy cake." Ludwig stroked his jawline "The dark ganache has shards of freshly made nougat through it, the cake itself, made with the best milk chocolate available and studded with caramel stars, the icing is a marble of white and dark chocolate and to top it off, it is crowned by sheets of caramel and pulled toffee contorted into a flame. Now… why would I share such a heavenly desert with a mindless neolithic troglodyte like you?"

"A troglo… what?" He stomped his feet and raised his fists "I don't understand a word you just said, but I'm gonna flatten you fo-" He was engulfed in a wave of blue fire that ignited him like a candle. The Pianta cursed and cried as he dove into the lagoon.

Ludwig laughed under his breath without turning to watch him splash around. Looks like his control over his flame breath was getting much better, although heating it to a blue flame still stang his throat afterwards. He tossed some coins to Flaming Pants and went to sit in his usual spot.


	8. Movie night

As he waited, Ludwig leaned back in the comfortable chair, arms stretched on the armrests. He looked up to see the starry night peering in between the gaps of the treetops. The sky was familiar to him, reminiscent of the Dark Lands. The brightness of the celestial Star Road was nowhere to be seen allowing the night to take on its true colours. He heard heeled boots rap against the wooden floorboards and approach him. A Magikoopa walked into his field of view brandishing a camera. She wore a layered dress of blacks, blues and turquoise with a small shrug around her shoulders. A leather corset made the skirts flare out to create a more feminine shape. Icy blue hair was grown long and curled over her shoulders. A charcoal top hat with a broad rim rested on her head.

"I just came to thank you for the sequence of shots," She adjusted her brass cat's eyes glasses "Your expression of disdain were perfect and then the fire, oh, this is going to be a fantastic collection, Ludwig."

"Seeing as I've managed to help you Magnifico, perhaps you can return the favour?" He queried gently, gesturing to the seat opposite him. When she sat down he continued politely "I'm still in the midst making a new sceptre but I cannot surmise what type of gem to use as the primary catalyst."

"It depends on what kind of magic you're trying to cast."

"A mixture of fire, illusions, maybe a little conjuring of lesser ethereals, but… I'd like to incorporate shadow magic into it as well."

"A fire and shadow catalyst, that's a tricky order. The only ones I can think of are void crystals and star diamonds. The void crystals are preferable as they are pure darkness solidified and compliment fire magic nicely. Star diamonds on the other hand are pure catalysts with no elemental alignment."

He stroked his chin absentmindedly "Meaning they can be used with any kind of spell."

"I guess you'll be waiting a long time though, void crystals don't just pop out of the ground and as far as I know there's only seven star diamonds still in circulation."

Ludwig purposely played dumb "How come?"

Magnifico prepared to take her leave, rising from her seat once more "Apparently star diamonds were made in the Arcane Kingdom centuries ago. No one knows what they're for though, only the royal family knows that."

"I see, perhaps I should ask Scaramouch to take me into the city. She seems to sneak in there a lot and completely undetected too." His order was delivered by another Sammer Guy waiter. Ludwig gave a polite nod before he turned to Magnifico again. "Any ideas what these diamonds look like?"

She looked around cautiously and leant in close "Apparently when they're exposed to direct sunlight they glow with all the colours of a prism." She laughed under her breath, commenting flippantly "Ludwig, you're a strange one. I don't understand your obsession with shadow magic. It's got the highest death rate among casters. Oh well, I'll see you at Gallileo's tonight."

He waved back to her as she ran off to develop the negatives of her photographs. Ludwig then gave his full attention to the cake and coffee. He had always loved the flavour of chocolate, it was his ultimate weakness. The treat before him was a particular favourite of his as the taste of the chocolate was not drowned out by sugar like with most baked goods. Calmly sitting back in his chair, he leisurely ate and drank while watching people go by.

* * *

Time passed at a lazy pace, Ludwig finally found himself walking towards the complex where Gallileo dwelled. He was a little puzzled as to how he ended up on friendly terms with this particular social circle. It all started when a drummer called Figaro invited him out one night after they played a gig. Since then, he seemed to be spending most of his free time alongside them. Carefully studying them to surmise what knowledge he could steal from them. At times being in their company reminded him of the other Koopalings. But Ludwig tended to quash such idiotic thoughts, why should he care for his former life at all?

His feet slowed as his mind lingered a little too long on the Koopalings once more. On the metallic pathway leading upwards to a higher apartment, his grip tightened around the take away box of brownies. The cardboard buckled beneath his claws.

"Ludwig! Wait up!"

A shy guy came into view with as he leapt down from a higher ledge. He wore the typical red robes and mask associated with his kin. However his white mask had been modified heavily with an articulating jaw to at simulate a moving mouth. His baggy hood was kept in place by being impaled on two jagged horns that crowned the mask. Over his red robe he wore a sleeveless leather duster with a thick leather belt around his waist. A brass gear and lightning bolt insignia rested at the bottom of his hood, where his neck would theoretically be.

"Fandango…" Ludwig looked between the ledge and the Shy Guy "Why did you jump down? Technically you were closer to the door than I am."

"Yeah, but this was more fun." Fandango clapped him on the shoulder before running off again. Ludwig followed in tow at a calm pace as the Shy Guy banged on the wood and brass door with both arms.

Fandango fell through the doorway to the sound of laughter and welcomes. He flipped back up immediately running to grab a seat on a large cushion in front of the screen. As Gallileo did not need to sleep, she used her small home as an entertainment hub. A projector was set up at the back of the room to filter onto the large fabric screen on the opposite side of the room. A series of couches and armchairs were positioned around a large, yet short legged table which currently held a series of pizza boxes.

"Just in time, we were about to start the movies and the pizzas just got here!" Gallileo cackled as she clicked the projector and player on. The familiar prologue of the first Koopazilla movie came on screen as they all settled in their usual spots.

Scaramouch and Fandango practically snatched a box off the table as they both sat on the floor. "Hey!" she snapped as Figaro knocked her spiny helm off with a well thrown hammer. He was seated to the side of them in an old armchair. Scaramouch snarled back "I don't smack your headphones off."

"His headphones don't obstruct people's viewing." Magnifico remarked, pouring herself a goblet of wine that had been taken from the Mushroom Kingdom. She was poised on the corner seat of a couch with a small table to the side of her.

Ludwig grabbed his pizza, settling into the corner of the central couch with the box on his lap as he reclined a little. All manners and proper posture had been abandoned now he was comfortable. "Isn't anyone else curious as to where that hammer came from in the first place?"

Gallileo pondered "Yeah, I don't typically keep hammers in my house."

Ludwig nearly choked on his mouthful of pizza as a shadow loomed before him. She always did this and it never ceased to make him not so much scared but surprised. Taking her portion of food before falling back into the couch to his right with a mighty thud. Diabella stretched out like a ragdoll, a smirk on her face "Maybe he has a vortex storage unit in his shell and just retrieves them as he needs them."

"Plausible, wine?" Magnifico casually levitated a bottle over to her, very familiar with Diabella's drinking habits.

"Don't mind if I do." She grabbed the bottle from mid-air and took a long swig. She then raced from her chair to spit it out an open window. "Ew! What is this!? How is this a red wine?" She made gagging noises "Ugh… too… freaking… sweet." Then threw the same bottle out of the window reminiscent of the manner of someone throws away a bag of their dog's business.

"Surely you're overreacting." Ludwig callously remarked "After all, not everyone has killed their sense of taste from years of constant inebriation."

Diabella resumed her place on her couch "You know, it's so damn sweet I bet you'll lap it up."

He raised a clawed finger to her and corrected "I care for chocolate, not sugar."

"Actually I think Diabella may have a point." Magnifico remarked as she placed her goblet down "It is sickeningly sweet. It doesn't even taste alcoholic."

Figaro sniffed the liquid in question before making shooing gestures with his hands and frowning.

"What did you guys expect?" Scaramouch casually added, not turning from the screen "Princess Peach is probably the worst of the aristocrats. All she does is bake cakes and hang out with those weird plumbers, she isn't fit to serve the people as a competent leader."

Fandango jested "I take it her motto is 'let them eat cake!'"

Ludwig snorted as he burst out laughing "That might as well be the creed of the Mushroom Kingdom. I don't understand how it's still standing."

Gallileo giggled "Yeah, because that totally ended well the last time a monarch tried that." She leant forward, taking a seat between Magnifico and Ludwig "Princess Éclair said something like that once when the people came to her for help because they were starving."

"And then she was decapitated by an angry mob. The End." Ludwig smirked before shoving another slice of pizza into his mouth. The scene where Koopazilla first attacks a cityscape came on screen.

Magnifico asked aloud "Wait a minute, Princess Éclair is dead?" Gallileo nodded back to her "Then who the hell was that Luigi guy writing about in his novel!?"

Diabella shrugged back, reaching into her buttoned up overcoat to retrieve a hip flask. She began sipping it as she habitually did, pausing to notice Ludwig's calculating gaze. It was a little unsettling how he always looked at her like she was up to something. Calling him out, she smiled back innocently to say "What?"

"I'm curious, how do you not spontaneously combust when you're near an open flame?"

"I could ask you, how do you not burst a blood vessel in your head when you get angry?"

"Do you think I could fit a coin in that gap in your teeth if I tossed it from the other side of the room?"

"Does it ever take you less than eight hours to style your hair? Oh my mistake, that's probably just your eyebrow grooming."

"Shut up you two, we're getting to the best parts!" Fandango tossed an empty box in their direction like a clumsy ninja star.

Gallileo shyly inquired as she watched Ludwig and Diabella exchange glares "Why do you two sit near each other when all you do is bicker?"

Ludwig coldly answered, his voice dropped to a whisper as he leant over to the Boo "I know she won't steal anything or try to sample anything I like."

"Wait, this is all because you don't want to share?"

"It's called strategic placement."

"I still think it's because you're greedy." She tittered under her breath as Ludwig gave her a deadpan look of disdain.

He still felt uncomfortable around Diabella, surely the others knew of what she did, the monsters she had brought to life in the mires and the careless disregard for living things. It was like looking into the future of what Iggy might become should he be left isolated in his lab for too long. Yet when she was outside her laboratory, Diabella was alone a lot and never seemed to talk to anyone other than the few people in this room. Even when she caught a show, he always saw her at the bar drinking more alcohol than humanly possible. More frustrating was how closed off she was, Ludwig had tried to find some secret about her for the sake of blackmail. But it seemed she kept the lowest profile imaginable, he heard the same story of people coming to Rhapsody to find the laboratory and the monster bugs already here.

His internal inquisition was interrupted by the cheers of the others, heralding that their games had begun. This was followed by the passing of shot glasses filled to the brim with rum appeared. They were to take a shot every time Koopazilla destroyed something. Ludwig and Gallileo laughed, they were in for a long night.

* * *

_The familiar sight of Bowser's Castle was before Ludwig, although he could not recall how he got there. The grand entrance was dark and there was not a soul to be seen. He wandered aimlessly through the castle to find it desolate and empty. The winds howled outside as a storm brewed in the night sky. He wanted to call out but discovered that his voice had been lost. Eventually he came to his old bedroom, the door was still open to reveal his piano smashed to pieces. The mace was still buried in its remains. A shadow then loomed behind him in all too familiar way. With a strike of lightning he heard Diabella's laughter, the light illuminating his room to reveal a chamber slick with gore._

Ludwig jolted awake silently to find himself partially lying on the armrest as he rested on the couch. The discarded boxes of his pizza and brownies had been licked clean. He felt a little disappointed, he could not even remember how good those brownies were. His waistcoat unbuttoned, his tie and collar loosened while his mind wafted in a state of drunken, numbness. It was rather pleasant, like the stumbling walk home after a night out at the Electrodrome. Although he did not usually drink as much due to Wendy, Morton and Larry's presence as well as the call of the racing track. A part of him dreaded the hangover to come.

Glancing around he saw that Scaramouch and Magnifico had already taken their leave which was routine. Gallileo, Figaro and Fandango had kept the marathon going but had swapped to the Sawguy movies. Nervously he realised Diabella was still there, sitting at the edge of his peripheral vision. She seemed more preoccupied with the contents of her third hip flask rather than keeping an eye on him. Given that fleeing would draw suspicion and he was presently in no mood to move, Ludwig quietly kept watching the movies.

A sick feeling rose in his stomach at the thought of his dream, when the lightning had flashed he saw the mutilated corpses of the other Koopalings. He shivered uncontrollably at the thought. For a second he thought he saw Diabella glare at him but he knew he was just seeing things now.


	9. The gears are turning

Larry and Morton nervously ducked their heads around the corner. The grand hallways were as tall as giants and garbed in dark stone and red banners. Large torches were mounted to the walls adorned by spikes of twisted metal. Everywhere you looking in this place had some visage of Bowser himself, whether it was an icon on a banner or actually a statue made in his likeness. They nodded to each other now the coast was clear and padded down the corridor. Their private quarters were located in the eastern wing of the castle, whereas Bowser and his son's chambers were to the west. So far they had managed to dock their airship without anyone noticing too much. Any engineers or soldiers in the area would not dare question them. Just a little further now, until they were back in their own chambers.

"Where have you two losers been?"

They nearly tripped over the rug as the burly prince appeared out of nowhere. Bowser Jr was a spitting image of Bowser in his youth. Already at such a young age he already had a pair of horns and well developed yet small fangs. A bandana was always tied around his neck. His red hair was tied back in a tuft and he had thick eyebrows. His scales varied between tan, yellow and green. The spikes on his green shell were developing strongly.

Larry stomped on Morton's foot to stop him from speaking first. He slyly answered "Out."

Bowser Jr's eyebrows knitted, standing toe to toe with Larry as he growled "Where? You were expected back here hours ago."

"We were outside, you know, that place you are when you leave the castle." Larry fought down every desire to smack him in the face. Bowser Jr was about five years younger than him and already nearly as tall.

"Ugh, you better not have snuck off to that stupid Electro place again."

Larry's eyes narrowed "Electrodrome, and no, I can't go there at the moment because someone scratched all my records and broke my gear."

"If you didn't want it broken why'd you leave it outside."

"Because a little shi-"

"Alright Larry," Morton shoved the smaller Koopaling under his arm, he waved to Bowser Jr as he quickly muttered "Yeah, if anyone's looking for us we'll be in our wings. Ok, see you, bye bye!"

Larry and Bowser Jr kept glaring at each other despite Morton's intervention. It did not end until he physically carried them out of each other's field of vision. Morton could still hear Larry cursing under his breath.

"Did that little jerk realise how hard it was for me to get a gig there!? I'm only fifteen, I'm technically not even allowed in there!"

"I'm actually surprised you, me and Wendy can even get in. That place is eighteen and over… then again the guys at the door let us through the second they see we're with Bowser's army." Morton let out a sigh as he reminded "I know he wrecked your DJ gear, but what did you expect? He was gonna get there sooner or later. There's not much we can do, Larry, not while Bowser is running the palace. I mean, Jr is our superior after all."

Larry fell silent, regardless of Bowser's failures and redundant planning. He was a terrifying king who demanded respect from his minions. The punishment for displeasing him was unimaginably horrific. They knew about the torture chambers below the dungeons. They knew the ugly reality of Bowser's kingdom. Since discovering they were not his biological children, it was always tempting to just run away and never look back. But none of them could, years of being taught loyalty to the Koopa Kingdom and upholding Bowser's demands had instilled fear in them. It had trained them well.

* * *

The war room was in a state of disarray with piles of unsorted reports scattered over every surface. Even with a full staff of Magikoopas, the smartest of their species, they could not keep up with the constant stream. What had been a tidy study only a year ago, organised to the smallest detail was now swamped by an avalanche of paper. It seemed like anyone who even caught wind of the most ridiculous rumours sent something to them. Kamek was at his wit's end by now, he wiped his glasses once more before turning back to the pages. How in the world Ludwig had kept such order in a kingdom as chaotic as Bowser's was beyond him.

A certain page caught his attention, he turned to the other Magikoopas and snarled "You idiots! Why didn't anyone mention this sooner!? You know all information about the Mushroom Kingdom is a priority."

One of them shouted back "We haven't gotten to that side of the room yet!"

Another yelled with annoyance "Seriously Kamek, that's your area! Remember the lines we drew!"

"Forget it! I'm going to go tell his surliness about this right now!" Kamek snapped back, brandishing the page wildly as he leapt down from his seat. He adjusted his blue, pointed cap and was careful not to trip over his cerulean robes while he sprinted to the throne room.

The sounds of frantic yelling heralded Kamek's appearance before he even entered. Smoke circled from Bowser's nostrils as he menacingly sat in his giant throne. Rather than a crown, his green scaled head was wreathed by large horns and a mane of bright red hair. His wicked eyes framed by thick eyebrows as he growled, baring the sharp fangs of his mouth. He was massive and nearly dwarfed the seat, his whole body was thick with muscle and shaded in yellow and tan scales. A spiked and armoured dark green shell hugged his back. His tail was short with a few barbs along it. Thick leather bands, cuffs and collar spiked with iron had become synonymous with him.

The throne room was no different to the rest of the castle. Decorated with the narcissistic designs of its king, it relished the shades of red and black contrasted against dark stones. There were no chandeliers or pretty lights, only burning torches and flame spewing statues. The air was heavy with the scent of sulphur and smoke from the lava moats channelled through the kingdom's grounds. Even then it was not so much a castle as a giant industrial factory, producing all manner of magic and machine according to Bowser's desires.

The landscape of the Dark Lands stretched far into the horizon when you gazed out the windows. The earth was either scorched or bruised, twisting into a mostly inhospitable crumbling wasteland. Every resource they had was either raided from surrounding kingdoms or sent by countries as tribute to avoid being attacked. The blessings of the Star Road did not reach this place, allowing the sky to take on a darker shade even on the brightest of days.

Bowser glowered at Kamek as he burst in "What is it now? Can't you see I'm busy being awesome and scary!?"

Kamek bowed quickly "Your burliness! I come with urgent news."

He roared back "Well, spit it out then!"

"The Mushroom Kingdom is weakened at the moment, a storm has destroyed a lot of the town and it is in a state of repair. Now would be perhaps an ideal time to attack?"

"I got it! Let's go destroy it! It'll make taking Peach a lot easier."

Kamek's eyebrows knitted, he was used to Bowser's antics "Why not also use the opportunity to catch Mario off guard?"

"But all I need the princess, so we'll go, we'll grab her and come back and party!" Bowser laughed, rather pleased by his cunning plan.

Kamek fought every urge to roll his eyes or shake his head. Instead he politely gritted through his teeth "An excellent plan indeed."

"Of course it is, I thought it up! Now get the troops ready! We're sending out the airship fleet in an hour!"

Kamek bowed again before leaving to make the arrangements. He passed Bowser Jr on the way, taking no notice of the 'kick me' sign that had taped itself to his back. Bowser Jr approached his father's throne "What's going on Kingdad?"

Bowser laughed wickedly "We're going to attack the Mushroom Kingdom, that's what!"

"So… can I run around on the ground this time? It's boring on the airship."

"During an air raid, no, let the minions do the work while you sit back and enjoy the view and the sound of your enemy screaming in terror."

"Speaking of minions, I caught Larry and Morton sneaking in from somewhere. I reckon they snuck out to that stupid club again."

"Well then, you need to get control of them. Show them who's boss. Remember, the Koopalings are your minions now."

"But how do I break them? I mean, I thought I had it well plotted with what I did to Ludwig but then he just left!"

Bowser chuckled at the memory "Yeah, that's more a favour, I hated listening to his music and he was getting out of hand." Bowser Jr gestured for him to elaborate "He was forgetting that he was a minion and I am the king. I have no use for chumps like that. So you really helped me out there."

"Anytime, Kingdad."

Bowser smiled back at his twisted little offspring, deciding to have a child of his own was clearly one of the best choices he had made.

* * *

He did not sleep that night, even after he left Gallileo's at some forsaken hour of the morning. Instead he circled around in his apartment, his eyes flicking between the door and the half made sceptre on his desk. Ludwig ran a hand through his hair, finally coming to a decision as he retrieved it. Perhaps a trip to the Dark Lands would offer him a chance to test what he had learnt over the past year, away from the scrutiny of Diabella. A glimmer caught his attention, a tie pin with a brass gear and lightning bold crest rested on a nearby shelf. He swatted the damned trinket from its place as he stormed out. The heavy door slammed shut behind him.

The boulevard was slowly crawling to its demise as sunlight tainted the sky. There was a way to travel beyond the mires with ease, how else would tourists safely arrive here? Ludwig smirked at the sight of an all too familiar Pianta, his body was scarred and blistered from being ignited. A confident smile grew on his face as his prey saw him approach. The Pianta took flight, disappearing down a side alley to evade him. Ludwig nearly burst out laughing at the futile display. Instantly he knew how to get what he wanted from this rube.

'_The Don is going to kill me for this! He can't know I pissed off someone from this town.'_ So enthralled by his own fears, he did not look where he was going or what he was stepping in. He fell like a freshly chopped tree as his feet sank into the sludgy earth. The walls had closed in around him to create a single corridor of no escape. The windows were shut tight and the lights were out. No one would even notice them.

"What a pleasant surprise to see you again. Guess I went easy on you." Ludwig grabbed the Pianta by the plant on his head, twisting him backwards at a painful angle.

A few sickening cracks were emitted from his spine in the process. The Pianta writhed from the pain in his back "Listen, I thought you were over this, it was just some cake."

Ludwig flexed the claws of his free hands. Then drove them into his victim's back with a forceful palm strike, just over where the kidney would theoretically be. He ignored the scream that followed as he coldly negotiated "Maybe we can call it even if you help me with something."

"Anything, anything!" The Pianta sobbed "Just name it buddy, I'll even put in a good word with the Don for ya." He shouted as another clawed strike connected with his back. This one broke the skin, tearing the remains of his fine suit a little more.

"I am not your buddy." Ludwig remarked "Now show me how to get to Rogueport before I get impatient."

"Oh, you just wanna use the pipes? No problem, no problem. I'll take you to them now."

Ludwig released the Pianta as he scrambled to stand. He was sorry sight in his tattered suit, covered in a mix of filth and blood. Ludwig stepped to the side and gestured back to the street with nod. This idiot was really a member of the Pianta Mafia? It would appear the Don was not as dangerous as he suspected if this was true. He snickered to himself as he calmly followed after the Pianta.

"Whoa.. I… just… wow…" Gallileo remarked from her place on the rooftop above. The cityscape of Rhapsody was east to navigate no matter what level you preferred to walk on. They had just witnessed everything that had occurred in the alleyway.

Diabella took another swig of her hip flask, perched on the spine of the tiled roof. She rose emotionlessly "I don't like this one bit."

"Yeah I know, he just starting hitting that guy for no reason."

"No, not that. This whole situation stinks of someone meddling where they shouldn't… Look, I'm keeping an eye on him, tell the others if they're interested to meet me at the lab by evening."

Gallileo nodded back to her with confusion as she evaporated into the air. Diabella quietly ran along the rooftops, weaving between the chimneys and back towards her laboratory.


	10. A grand entrance

Wario looked around his castle's ground with pride. He had managed to rebuild most of the damage although he still had no idea as to whom or what had caused it. The outer wall was more a rushed patch job with much of the scaffolding still in place. From the outside it looked perfectly secure and by then he had enough of the delay. He turned on his heels to leave through the main gate, only to find Waluigi walk in with Syrup alongside him. Wario froze for a moment, he wildly flailed his arms "WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE!?"

Waluigi dismissively waved back to him "Calm down, while you were here I did some searching for you and guess what, Syrup agreed to come over and see what's going on."

"But she's probably the one who's responsible for this!"

"No, I can't take credit for this one." Syrup smiled innocently "Wow, this place has really changed since I last visited."

Wario huffed "Visited? You mean when you robbed and trashed the place."

"You're the idiot who snored through it all, and I was not quiet in the slightest."

"Alright, alright, what's your game this time?"

The sound of an explosion shattered the conversation in that breath. Instinctively the trio tried to see the source of the problem. Smoke rose from a distant corner of the castle. Wario paled at the thought "That sounded like it came from the workshop!" before he sprinted off into his home.

Waluigi shook his head and followed after him "I hope he just left one of his machines on and this isn't as big a deal as it seems."

"I want the opposite, it's been a while since I last had some action." Syrup laughed as her hand went to the cutlass sheathed at her waist.

Truthfully she just wanted a distraction so she could take what she came here for. She could not believe her luck when Waluigi found her in Rogueport, it was a sign that she was meant to steal from Wario. His friend practically opened the door of his stronghold to her. For the time being, she kept to the part of the helpful ally, running alongside Waluigi as they ran to catch up with Wario. Syrup nearly swooned at the sight of all the treasure littered carelessly through the hallways. It was a struggle to keep her inner kleptomaniac at bay. All those coins, all those gems, all those prized relics, gleaming and calling to her like sirens in the fog.

So caught in marvelling at the shining wealth around her, Syrup nearly tripped over Waluigi as they arrived at the workshop. They had very little time to react, leaping clumsily out of the way while Wario was sent sprawling back with a large blast of indigo flames. He crashed into the opposite wall but immediately leapt to his feet and charged towards the buck toothed intruder.

"Amazing… this is truly an excellent catalyst." Ludwig laughed, waving the sceptre to conjure another barrage of flames while simultaneously weaving an illusion. Fortune had smiled on him today when Don Pianta met him face to face. In that meeting he learned that a Star Diamond had recently come into Wario's possession. Finding it was a challenge given the permanent disarray of the castle, but he discovered it in the workshop by chance. The large gem fit perfectly into the empty socket of his sceptre to complete it.

Wario charged through the fire, his fortitude was truly superhuman as he never slowed his pace. He lunged towards Ludwig with a giant fist raised. Lashing out wildly, the punch connected with the Koopaling, only to have his opponent vanish into the ether with a whisper of smoke. A tap at the window above drew his attention upwards. Wario let out an indignant snarl as Ludwig was outside and waving to him smugly before he disappeared again.

Waluigi asked aloud to no one in particular "Wasn't that one of Bowser's brats?"

"So it's true… there was another one of those diamonds after all." Syrup stepped into the workshop, gazing at the same window, a snarl creased her features "She lied to me! I can't believe it!"

Wario's ears twitched "What do you mean by another one of those diamonds!?"

"And who lied to you?" Waluigi added as he blocked the doorway.

Syrup let out an annoyed sigh then blurted out "Look, when I heard rumours of you trying to hock a giant diamond I had to come check it out. I mean I have one of those too and I was led to believe it was the only one of its kind!"

Waluigi snapped "One step at a time, where did you get it in first place?"

"It was payment for giving her the blueprints and details of this castle."

"So your friend was the one who robbed us!?"

Wario was not interested in the slightest as he casually picking his nose. He formulated a strategy to get the diamond back. Knowing it was one of Bowser's minions that took it, the most logical course of action would be to go to the Mushroom Kingdom first then the Dark Lands. Bowser was very much a creature of routine, although Wario could not understand why a giant turtle lizard would want a vapid princess?

"A friend… no, she's not really a friend… she's more an associate who I exchange goods and information with." Syrup's hand went to her hair as she madly tugged on it "I just can't believe this! After all these years, I thought she'd be honest with me."

Waluigi stamped his feet "Why the hell are you ignoring me!?"

"Shut up the both of you! I'm going to go get my diamond back!" Wario swang the lever to open the workshop's main door, he jumped into the seat of the Wario Car.

"Right with you," Waluigi leapt into the back seat with a supply of bombs on hand. As the engine revved the racer tore off down the ramp and along the path leading beyond the castle walls.

A look in the rear view mirror made Wario growl "When did you get here!?"

Syrup remarked as she perched on the back seat "You think I'm going to give up an opportunity to get another giant diamond?"

"It ain't yours!"

"We'll see, besides you two look like you might need a hand to deal with the magic slinging lizard."

Wario fell silent as he kept speeding down the main road towards the Mushroom Kingdom. She did have a point there. While he was competent with handling most foes, it usually did help to have a few meat shields whenever magic was involved.

* * *

"So you're sure everything is fine if I go away for a while?" Peach nervously shuffled her feet as she stood in her throne room. Dusk was settling in, illuminating the sky with vivid hues of purple and orange. Indigo clouds wafted overhead, slowly gathering and growing denser. The chandeliers glowed with magical energy to keep the castle interior locked in a state of constant daylight.

Toadsworth smiled back to her "The repairs of the castle are complete while the town is very much almost recovered. There is no reason why you can't go with Master Mario. Besides if anything did happen, I'll be here to handle it."

She smiled and bowed her head to him, her fingers interlaced and her hands came to rest over her waist. "Thankyou Toadsworth."

"Not at all your highness, now I believe the others are gathered in the main hall. Master Luigi and Princess Daisy have arrived from Sarasaland."

Peach took her leave of the throne room, politely nodding her head to the Toad guards standing by the door. When she came to grand hall she was greeted by the sight of Mario and the others. Luigi was much taller and slimmer than his older brother. His black moustache was more streamlined as well, contrasting against his brown hair beneath a green cap. Beside him was another princess with a glowing tan and bouncy, short auburn hair. Her gown was decorated in orange and yellow. Green and white flower embellishments adorned her jewelry. She was not as demure or beautiful as Peach, but there was a spark of life in her eyes, an ever present glimmer of mischief.

"Daisy! It's so good to see you again." Peach threw her arms around the tomboy princess with squeal "How have you been?"

She hugged her back "Great, Luigi helped me engineer a new pipeline in Sarasaland. If all goes well the outer towns won't ever need to worry about fresh water again."

"Really? That's amazing Luigi!"

He bashfully replied, acutely aware of his brother's silence "It's pretty simple, anyone can do it."

Daisy reassured as she playfully punched his shoulder "No they can't. That's why I asked you."

Peach laughed, a kind smile on her face "So I take it Mario has informed you both of what's happened lately?"

"Yeah, that storm must've been insane to rip the kingdom to pieces like that and then the looters." Luigi shivered all over "Sounds like the work of Boos."

Daisy jested back to him, raising a fist in the air "If it is, don't worry, I'll protect you."

"No, it was probably Bowser. Ludwig was with them after all." Mario dreaded the thought "I think he may have formed an alliance with the Lightning Queen."

Luigi tilted his head "Uh bro, who or what's a Lightning Queen?"

"You mean like that bedtime story?" Daisy suggested, she laughed a little "Don't be ridiculous, Bowser probably slapped together a bunch of things to make it look like that… then again that sounds too clever for him. It was probably an idea from one of his minions."

Mario bluntly added "Still, it's going to be pretty dangerous, we could be gone for ages."

"I am not sitting out on another adventure. Everything in Sarasaland is fine so it's ok for me to take a vacation." Daisy folded her arms "Besides, I'm sick of you guys going on these fun journeys and never inviting me."

Luigi timidly informed "Daisy, they do get pretty dangerous some times. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Peach smiled pleasantly "Then surely I wouldn't be allowed to go if that were the case."

Daisy linked arms with Peach, both smirking back to them "Yeah, what's the big idea? Is going on adventures a boy's club or something?"

"It's nothing against you Daisy, it's just… well… you don't have much experience with this sort of thing." Mario insisted with a friendly smile on his face "Remember what happened with Tatanga."

"Yeah, but we both still survived that and I'm always working on making myself stronger so I don't see the problem." The realisation dawned on her, she burst out laughing "Oh, I get it, you just want some time with Peach, don't ya?"

Mario bashfully looked away, his face becoming the same colour as his cap.

The conversation was interrupted by a violent quaking. The chandeliers rocked wildly overhead as the walls shuddered. Another tremor resonated through the earth, shattering the newly repaired windows into pieces. The answer to their attackers was clear as the silhouettes of massive airships soared past. The armada circled in the sky like carrion, occasionally sweeping down to ignite the Mushroom Kingdom. Barrages of bullet bills were followed by devastating explosions and spirals of smoke in the distance. The sky became overcast and obscured the stars and moon.

The admiral's warship was by far the most impressive and boasted an arsenal that could level a kingdom. As it swooped lower near the castle, a large figure leapt from its bow. The wall of the main hall was smashed to pieces, sending stone, glass and metal raining all over. Luigi instinctively grabbed Daisy as they both tumbled to the floor. Mario crawled to his knees, his body trembling from the aftershock. Peach was utterly speechless as she remained by the stair well. Tears were beginning to well in her eyes, yet she made no whimper, no sound at all.

"What's the big deal!? I make an awesome entrance like that and no applause!?" Bowser towered before the crumbling wall and the massive hole he had effortlessly torn in the side of the castle. He smiled wickedly, his fangs gleaming in the light as wisps of smoke escaped his nostrils. The floor shook as he stomped towards the stairwell, completely ignoring everyone else in the room.

"Stop… stop it you fiend! Get away from me!" Peach cried, tossing a loose piece of chandelier at Bowser. It was enough of a distraction for her to scramble to her feet and flee upstairs.

"Come back here! You do things when I tell you to and I did not tell you to go up there!" He snarled, brushing the twisted metal from his shoulder as he stormed after her. Mario ran on adrenaline and instinct as he too made chase, higher into the castle.

Daisy sat up, still somewhat restrained by Luigi clinging to her. She put a hand on his head to reassure "They've gone higher into the castle." For a moment he slowly pulled away from her, he had broken out in a cold sweat but still tried to keep a brave face.

The main door was then pried open by a barrage of fire and brute force, two large koopas stormed in. One brandished a giant sledgehammer while the other wielded a bullet bill launcher. They were both giants in their own right, only slightly smaller than Bowser himself.

Roy leered "Great we got the fake hero and princess."

Morton laughed cruelly "Just makes it easier to take out the trash and clear the way."

"Morton… Roy…" Luigi muttered to himself, his frantic mind trying to think of some way to fight back now. He looked around for any other allies but the few Toad servants had either fled or were too injured by the flying rubble to help.

"You're not alone, Weegee." Daisy smiled back to him as she stood defiantly before them. She picked up a metal bar that had been dislodged from the stair railing.

"Check this out, the princess has more guts than the hero." Roy cocked and aimed his bullet bill launcher.

Morton charged with his hammer ready to strike "Hero, more like zero!"

Daisy side stepped to avoid his sweeping arc. She then struck quickly with the bar, smacking Morton in the head as she avoided his attack. She stood calmly, gesturing him to try again with wiggle of her finger. Morton quickly recovered from the blow to his head. An attack like that would easily knock a smaller Koopa unconscious. He flexed his arms to display his grand size, raising his hammer high before advancing once more.

"So, looks like I got you instead, can we hurry this up? Just stand still so I can kill you already." Roy laughed as his weapon was aimed at Luigi.


	11. Don't stop me now

This was far too easy. Roy purposely took longer than expected to correct his aim as Luigi remained frozen in his crosshairs. The mayhem around them as Morton and Daisy sparred faded to background noise. Priceless statues were smashed against the marbled floor while they moved energetically like homicidal dancers. Daisy used the size difference between her and Morton to her advantage. Nimbly dodging his attacks as his large frame telegraphed them long before he even came near her. A smile crossed his fanged maw as Roy pulled the trigger.

Confusion came to mind for both Luigi and Roy in the moments that followed. For Luigi he was curious as to why he was not in pain from being shot at. Roy on the other hand wondered why he did not feel any recoil from his weapon and was flummoxed as to why his opponent was still standing. Out of frustration he pulled the trigger again to no avail. Growing impatient he let out a cloud of smoke from his mouth with a snarl as he frantically toyed with his beloved weapon.

"Damn it Iggy… It'd be quicker if I bludgeoned someone with this." he cursed under his breath, not paying attention to Luigi in the slightest.

With Roy distracted, Luigi quietly edged to the nearest door to vacate. His eyes never left the pink and purple Koopaling, just in case Roy remembered what he was doing in the first place. Even though Luigi had fought the Koopalings many times, he found himself more terrified as they aged. Even now Roy was probably in his early twenties and was already slightly taller and much larger than him. It would not be long until he was bigger than Bowser himself. So caught in his own thoughts, Luigi did not see the rope suspending a nearby chandelier had snapped. In the meantime Roy had neglected to note that he was standing underneath this chandelier, while it plummeted.

The sound of glass shattered pierced through the air like a shot. Morton turned to see Roy dazed beneath the twisted remains of a chandelier. Luigi was still quivering as he nearly tripped over himself, his gaze directed upwards. Out of curiosity, Morton also looked up.

"What are you on about? There's nothing up there at all, you idio-" Morton hit the ground, the third blow to his head from Daisy had rendered him unconscious.

Daisy mused aloud "Why is it always in threes?" looking over Morton to make sure he was staying down. "Good thinking Luigi with the chandelier."

Luigi blurted out "But that wasn't me at all!" he felt something brush against his shoulder, it snapped his final nerve "I think there's a ghost in here!"

Daisy attempted to catch up with Luigi, yet the green clad plumber proved to be extremely quick on his feet. The echo of the cannon fire outside was a muffled backdrop to the silence that fell over the chamber. In the quiet, Gallileo materialised from the ether yawning loudly "Man, I thought the coast was never going to be clear."

"It's good you intervened like that." Scaramouch waltzed in through the entry pried open by Roy and Morton. A large sack was over her shoulder, the weight of which slowed her usual spritely step.

Gallileo followed after the toad, carefully looking over a set of blueprints she had retrieved from her backpack, casually inquiring "I still don't get why you're doing this."

They casually walked around the room, attempting to gather their bearings. Neither was aware that Roy had recovered from being stunned and was now eavesdropping on their every word while playing dead. Scaramouch remarked "I need to test to if this plastic explosive actually works… that and I hate Princess Peach so anything to annoy her makes me smile."

"I still don't understand your hatred of her either."

"She is an aloof aristocratic figurehead that is symbolic of everything wrong with the way we govern our cities. In order for society to evolve we must have an alternative way that isn't driven by a monarchy or outdated pageantry." Scaramouch sighed out loud "It's just in order to speed up the process of rebuilding society, we must first destroy all remnants of the previous one and change the minds of the cultural dopes who never think to question anything."

"Then by that definition shouldn't you hate any form of leadership and order?"

"No, I agree that some structure is needed but I disagree with the class regime most areas still live under and I don't think we can reach any form of social harmony until we stop categorising everyone by stupid draconian methods."

"Scaramouch, you're my friend but you are absolutely insane."

"And you love it."

"Can't argue with that, it's never boring around you."

Roy heard their voices fade as they disappeared through a nearby door, leaving it open. He tossed the chandelier off his shoulders to come to standing. His orders may have been to attack the Mushroom Kingdom and aid Bowser when possible. But the emergence of these two intruders was a little too suspicious to leave unnoticed. He stomped over to Morton, shaking him awake but clamping his hand over his mouth. Roy nodded towards an open door then made a gesture for silence by bringing a claw to his lips. Still feeling groggy, Morton followed after Roy without hesitation.

* * *

The streets of the Mushroom Kingdom were ablaze and congested with smoke. Amid the screams of the terrified Toads was the maniacal laughter of pure euphoria. Buildings came down with a mighty crash as the giant Chain Chomp frolicked like a giddy kitten. At the end of its chain tail was a reinforced iron cart. Iggy cared not for steering or controlling his beloved pet, Chompella. He simply laughed and enjoyed the ride as one would relish the thrill of a living murderous rollercoaster. Behind him was his partner in crime, Lemmy, carelessly tossing his purple and star patterned bombs into the crowds. The fiery explosions were erratic and maddening with blasts of colour like fireworks. The two were having the time of their lives, and the burning city was nice change of scenery from Iggy's laboratory.

As they tore through solid brick walls like they were made of cardboard. Iggy felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Lemmy offering him a series of toasted marshmallows on a metal skewer. The open bag resting beside him in the cart on top of a pile of bombs, the little mohawked Koopaling nodded his head, humming a happy tune to himself. Iggy snatched the skewer before letting out another shower of praise to Chompella. Tonight was a good night.

"There goes the neighbourhood…" Larry casually remarked, seated on the railing of a bridge near the castle. For the past few months the Koopalings had been drawing straws as to who gets a break during the various raids. Today he and Wendy were taking it easy, watching the entire spectacle unfold before their eyes.

"And there goes another." Wendy chuckled, sipping the tea they had taken from the stall in the Toad Mall "This isn't half bad, maybe we should keep a Toad to host my high teas."

"What the?" Larry leant over the railing a little more, a strange glimmer caught his eye from beneath the water. The currents moved unnaturally, captivating him for a moment as he leaned forward more.

Wendy grabbed his tail before he fell "Be careful, you spaz!"

He quickly scampered back to safety atop the railing "It's just… I saw something weird down there."

"Like what?"

"It looks like a lady, but she was made of water." Wendy had her arms folded over her chest with a deadpan expression. Larry thundered "Don't look at me like that! It's true! I saw some human lady in the water! She was in a ball gown and looked like a princess or something."

"Right?" She averted her gaze to formulate a fitting insult for his remarks. A familiar figure stood out amidst the flames and chaos the burning kingdom. The parted wavy hair was unmistakable. "Ludwig!?"

Larry jumped from the railing, instantly forgetting the unusual aquatic anomaly. "Where's Dumbwig!?"

Wendy answered by grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him after her. They sprinted through the broken streets, ignoring the various Toads who were either panicking or fleeing. The guards were currently occupied by the onslaught of attacks from Koopa Troopas. Still they both caught glimpses of Ludwig, he teleported erratically throughout the main boulevard. Finally he warped to the centre of the town square which laid before Peach's castle. Larry and Wendy came to a halt at the edge of the area, hesitating as they felt a pulse of dark magic. A shadowy aura wreathed Ludwig's form, tiny flecks of rubble and broken earth floated around him as his hair wavered like he was underwater. Indigo swirls of shadows filled his vacant eyes as a deranged grin was smeared across his face.

Larry blurted out, feeling the crushing gravity when he attempted to venture closer. "Where'd he get that fancy sceptre from? It's made him way more powerful!"

"Wait, did he leave everyone just to get a new toy!?" Wendy stamped her heeled boot, dragging Larry back to her side. "Oh, I should've known he's just being a selfish twat as always! Why did we even worry about him!?"

"Hey Fartwig Von Buttface!" Larry shouted loudly "Chubwig Von Greedy!"

Ludwig slowly turned to face them, a smug chuckle escaped his lips. Even now his voice was distorted, almost demonic. The large diamond set at the end of his sceptre was the source of the strange aura. Glowing brilliant silver amidst the twisting magic, as Ludwig began to chant a spell under his breath. He waved the sceptre like a conductor before an orchestra, conjuring forth the very wrath of the underworld.

"Shut up!" Wendy grabbed him by the Mohawk with one hand, clamping her other over his mouth "Something isn't right you moron!" Her instincts were right as she dived for cover, narrowly evading the streams of dark magic that tore the earth asunder.

Iggy and Lemmy both saw it in the distance, a large explosion of darkness that ripped through the buildings as barrages of frantic claws. It had flattened the remaining buildings that were not yet demolished by their rampage. They knew something was amiss, no one in the Mushroom or Koopa Kingdoms could wield such magic. In that instant, Iggy tugged on Chompella's reins to divert her to the source of the spell. However the Chain Chomp had other plans as it wildly charged off in the opposite direction.

Iggy was shouting, his voice was strangely not angry more joking as he called out "Heel girl! HEEL! DAMN YOU, STUPID CHAIN CHOMP! LISTEN TO ME! STOP MESSING AROUND!"

While Lemmy continued to laugh with glee "YAY! WE'RE GOING ON A CHAIN CHOMP ADVENTURE!" He looked down at his supplies, instantly wailing dramatically "OH NO! I SHOULD'VE BROUGHT MORE MARSHMALLOWS! AND FIREWORKS!"

"Fireworks?"

"Yeah, Iggy you can never have too many explosions. How else are you gonna toast your marshmallows?"

They were both catapulted from the cart as Chompella came to an abrupt stop. Iggy picked himself up, wiping the dirt from his glasses to see three Chain Chomps happily barking at each other. Chompella had met another Chain Chomp around its size and smaller one. A strange Shy Guy was perched upon the head of the larger monster. At least, Iggy thought it was a Shy Guy but its horned mask was rather peculiar.

Fandango clapped his hands "Mama! Mia! Aw, how cute you two made a friend!" He looked to the two Koopalings "So, what's his name?"

Iggy helped Lemmy up the right way, the smaller Koopaling seemed to be content with remaining in a headstand in a puddle of mud. "What? Her name is Chompella."

"Her? Dude, that's a dude chain chomp."

Iggy blinked before erupting "How can you even tell!?"

"When you've been raising them as long as I have, you learn the difference."

"I have my own theories, but perhaps we can discuss it another time. We have things to destroy and they aren't going to break themselves." Iggy went over to Chompella's tail and turned his cart back the right way up. "Come on Lemmy, we have to go."

"Aw… why? I like this one." Lemmy was currently standing atop the smaller Chain Chomp, he looked up to Fandango with puppy eyes "Can I keep it?"

"That's Mama, and no you can't keep her."

Iggy raised an eyebrow as his cupped his chin with his hand "Who are you anyway!?"

The Shy Guy tilted his head "Me? I'm Fandango."

Lemmy jumped off Mama's head, he pointed wildly to announce "I'm Lemmy! That's Iggy. There, now we're all friends!"

"Well that's fantastic news! I take it you guys are curious about that big old explosion that just happened? I need to check it out too, so why don't we team up? I have a fun idea too." The two Koopalings paused and leaned in closer, Iggy had to crouch down to meet their eye level. Fandango chuckled "Ever fed a Super Star to a Chain Chomp?"

* * *

Aboard Bowser's personal airship, Kamek had been surveying the attack with precision. Everything was going according to plan until that strange explosion rose from the main square. It was illogical though, the Dark Star which had been imprisoned beneath the Mushroom Kingdom had been destroyed by Bowser himself. There was no record of any other beings in this region of the world capable of such a powerful shadow spell. He looked through his telescope to identify a cause.

The lens revealed Ludwig standing in the centre of the square. Arcane runes the colour of blood circled on the ground around him. Violet flames and haze swirled around him gently. His focus remained on a strange sceptre crowned by a massive diamond. He paused momentarily to look around, obviously looking for something or someone. He appeared to be lost to a world of his own as Ludwig reacted like he was conversing but there was no one anywhere near him.

Kamek put the telescope down, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He had heard rumours of such magic, but shadow magic of any form was condemned by most magic wielders. It boasted ultimate power but required hefty sacrifices in order to wield it. Even then there was always a high probability of the wielder being killed by the very powers they sought to control. Fear overcame him, Ludwig had disappeared from the Koopa Kingdom and had learnt the dark arts of shadow magic.

Bowser Jr shouted in Kamek's ear "Stop ignoring me!"

"Sire, please," Kamek felt his brain rattle "I implore you, go inside the cabin where it's safe."

"No way! I'm not going anywhere! You can't tell me what to do!" Bowser Jr jumped back as a wall of frosty spires twisted from the deck. Kamek armed his own sceptre and looked around for the intruder while the young prince fled to safety.

"Kamek, time has not treated you well in the slightest."

He turned to see a well-dressed Magikoopa, a black and gold parasol was held above her. Kamek stammered "Karuka? What are you doing here you traitor!? You look ridiculous by the way."

"I go by Magnifico now, and you're just jealous that you're bald and will never look as fabulous as me." She ran a clawed hand through her icy locks. With a menacing smile she cooed "As for the reason about my presence, well, I just had to drop in on an old friend like you."

Kamek retaliated wildly, slinging fire magic left, right and centre with all his might. Magnifico merely pointed with her finger, instantly dispelling his inferno with freezing ice. They both glared at each other, their duel had begun.


	12. Cause I'm having a good time

The sounds of a blizzard and explosions echoed from the deck. Bowser Jr had frantically scrambled behind his fort made of every piece of furniture in the cabin. Of all the days to not bring his enchanted paint brush! He cursed himself as he hid beneath a thick quilt. Even though he was expected to be a mature prince, he could not betray his true age in the slightest. He dared to peek at the open doorway, terrified of what might come through. That strange Magikoopa lady had just frozen the deck on a whim, he had never seen such control, such precision with wielding magic.

Oddly he could have sworn he heard footsteps, not normal ones though. These ones sounded very heavy as they thudded against the floorboards. Bowser Jr paled, the Koopalings were on the ground and his father had not yet returned. He waited, feeling the heat gather in his mouth as he braced for the intruder. A tall human casually paced past the doorway and back again at the same time. This continued for a few minutes, almost like they were lost.

Bowser Jr found most humans looked the same to him. He could not recognise this one though, it had long silvery white hair with streaks through it. Its face was hidden completely by a pair of heavy looking goggles and a gas mask. A strange backpack was strapped to it, whirling with dials and leading into wires that ran along its arms. Also in its grasp was a brass, iron and wooden trident. The middle prong was shorter than the others, making it almost like a claw shaped contraption. Along the fittings of the strange trident were a series of four vials screwed in and glowing neon green.

"Hey you!" The muffled, mechanical voice sounded somewhat feminine.

He felt his heart miss a beat as the shock of acknowledgement caught him off guard.

She walked into the room, shoving his makeshift fort to pieces "Yeah, you. Where's the engine in this place?"

"Down the stairs to the left…"

"Thanks, oh, and I need this." She reached out and ripped a lock of his hair from his head, depositing the sample in a vial that she retrieved from the series of satchels on her thick leather belt. She put the vial back into its safe carrying spot as she stood and walked out. Bowser Jr did not know what to think for a moment. No one had ever treated him so neutrally before. Determined to be acknowledged as the great creature he was. He charged after her and onwards to the engine room.

Diabella quickly came to pulsing engine as it madly churned its gears to keep the warship aloft. The cavernous room took up most of the innards of the airship. She spied a series of cannons to the side, a good escape route once she had what she came for. Having realised the gravity of the situation, Diabella needed more power and what better way to source it than to steal an airship's energy core. The core lied in the heart of the complex machines, at the centre of the walkway that safely elevated the crew over the mincing gears. She knelt down before the metal chamber and opened the hatch with little difficulty. Within gleamed an orb of arcane energy, Dark Lands technology always wove an off mix of science and magic together.

Bowser Jr finally came to find the strange woman before the exposed power core. Her odd trident rested on the flooring beside her. She reached her hands in, he noticed the strange discs strapped to the palms of her gloves. They glowed briefly before they began to channel the energy core through the wires of her arms and finally into the power pack upon her back. The metres turning from neon green to fluorescent blue.

"Hey! Get back here! I'm not done with you!" he protested as she just walked off towards the cannons.

Diabella ignoring the squawking child, she had a schedule to keep to. She opened the hatch with a careless spin of the wheel on the door to climb into the vacuous bore of the chase. It was so large in that chamber that she did not even have to bend down as she quickly vacated out the other end. Free falling above the Mushroom Kingdom was quite pleasant until she saw the vortex of shadows pulsing in the main square.

'_Damn it, why did that idiot play into her hands so easily!?'_ She pushed an emergency button on her harness that emitted a high pitched frequency. From beyond the cloud line came her trusted pets. Diabella landed on the back of Beelzebub, smaller than Bismillah and a hybrid between a wasp and a dragonfly. Yet much swifter than its bulkier counterpart, Diabella saddled up and flew towards the square as fast as she could.

* * *

Whips of fire were only countered by spires of frost. Kamek was at his wits end, every spell he cast was countered by Magnifico. He stood at the bow of the ruined deck while she remained poised near the helm of the airship. The mast had been split, the tattered remains falling to the earth bellow. Any crew members had either fallen overboard or were frozen or burnt to death.

Magnifico smirked as lightning danced around her hands "You still categorise magic by element, how primitive."

Kamek panted, thanking the reprieve as he began the mantra for an arcane shield in his mind. He declared out of frustration "But that is the way we have always learnt it! It is what decides our abilities!"

"Magic is an extension of our true selves. It is powered by raw emotion. The type of magic we wield only reveals who we are." She remained confident, was crystals of ice froze from the air itself, adding its power to the lightning already in play. "It is evolving with us our entire lives."

He paled as he noticed her spell growing in strength, his shield would be no match for her now. The airship then began to teeter drunkenly as it slowly descended. Magnifico merely chuckled at him "Looks like my distraction is over, my friend has what she needs and tell you what. Why don't I put this ship out of its misery?"

The airship was split in half with a deafening crack. Like a dying animal, the wood and metal creaked as it fell to pieces. In the mayhem, Kamek saw Magnifico just vanish into the air. He could consider their meeting later, right now he had a priority to save the Koopa prince. The loss of the warship would entail stern punishment from Bowser, but the loss of his son would lead to immediate execution. Dread then consumed him as he realised he did not the energy to levitate himself. He was going down with the ship.

"Seriously, I have to save you!? Some advisor you are!" Bowser Jr leered, he had managed to make it to the Clown Car before all hell broke loose. He piloted it to collect Kamek and make it a safe distance from the falling wreckage.

Kamek waved his sceptre, sending a flare into the sky to signal the fleet's retreat. Before the prince could protest he coldly dictated "We are out of our league here. It's better to flee and survive than for everyone to die meaninglessly."

"Kamek! How dare you issue the retreat without me or my father's command!? Why I ought-" Bowser Jr suddenly felt very sleepy as Kamek wove another spell over him.

He did not like the idea of toying with Bowser Jr like that, but he was a stubborn child who would not see reason. Kamek then steered the Clown Car to meet up with the remaining ships of the armada.

* * *

The water of the moat churned unnaturally with an icy gleam. The spirit that had been sent to this place was finally taking shape after lying dormant. Its target had arrived and soon enough he would seal his demise. Impatient and curious, it reached upwards from the unfathomable depths.

Wendy and Larry had no idea where to look or even where to hide now. They remained by each other's side, standing in the middle of the street. There not much else they could do. A section of roofing slid from a building nearby. They only noticed it as something crashed into them, knocking them both out of its trajectory. Figaro popped back out of his shell to see the two Koopalings were somewhat safe. Larry and Wendy were dazed, still on the ground as they tried to process what had happened. Without uttering a word to them he continued to make his way to the edge of the square while keeping to the ruins to avoid Ludwig's gaze. Magnifico had warped to the roof of a distant house, a signal that everything was ready to go.

Ludwig was completely enthralled by his powers as his trance continued to gather more darkness around him. He could hear the symphonies of shadows, the otherworldly cries of spirits, ring in his ears. Little by little, his orchestra of darkness was growing around him waiting for his tempo, his guidance for the ballad about to unfurl. The earth rocked once more as an icy hand reached up from the moat around the castle. It looked like a human arm made of water yet it was sheathed in elaborate plate armour made of ice. Another hand reached up as the elemental knight pulled itself from the moat to stand defiantly between Ludwig and Peach's Castle. It was the same height of the impressive structure, and wielded a sword and shield. As it took a battle stance it effortlessly swatted away a few of Bowser's airships.

"_You've failed, little demon, all you hold dear will die."_

Ludwig looked up at the knight with indignant fury. It was that same cold, wicked voice that had been tormenting him since he found that blasted diamond. The joke was his opponent though, for they had seriously underestimated his abilities. The conjuring was nearly complete, his entire form was consumed by darkness. The runes began to merge with him, crawl upon his skin before evaporating into his being. Searing pain followed as the evoglobin in his blood began to react. It seemed like a huge effort to trigger this natural part of his biology, but given the result, it would more than enough to obliterate the fool before him.

* * *

Bowser, Mario and Peach were frozen with shock. The strange eruption of darkness caught their attention first, then came the odd appearance of the giant ice knight. While Bowser and Mario looked poised and ready to fight upon that grand balcony of the castle, their heads and eyes were fixated on the sight before them. Peach herself was a crumpled heap on the floor but still amazed by the splendid defender that had come to her kingdom's aid.

Bowser grunted "Is that guy with you?"

Mario answered honestly "I've never seen anything like that before. Uh… Princess? Any ideas?"

"None, but whatever it is, it seemed to have reacted to the source of darkness." Peach's voice was filled with hope "Maybe the Star Spirits sent it to protect us all from Bowser's attack."

"What makes you think I had anything to do with that shadow thingy!?" Bowser remarked angrily "Seriously, if I had any say in it, it would way more awesome than that and it would've smashed whatever that popsicle is." He stomped his massive feet, throwing a tantrum like a child "Why isn't anything going right today!? If the fleet was here, we could bomb that thing to the Underwhere! Stupid Kamek! Panicking when there's no reason to."

"But your warship was completely destroyed."

"SHUT THE HELL UP RED STACHE!"

Another eruption of darkness twisted from the town square, at the heart of it something was manifesting from within. First came the massive clawed arms as the monstrosity conjured by it crawled from the heart of the void itself. The reptilian behemoth was wreathed by a massive spiked shell on his back and crowned by a wild mane of blue hair. His eyes were as black as the abyss, but his iris glowed bright blue like a flame. Even though he was a little bit shorter than the frozen knight, blue fire glowed from his nostrils and flickered behind his fanged maw when he grinned sadistically.

"A Giga transformation!?" Bowser spluttered with rage, storming over to the edge of the balcony as he shouted "How dare that little jerk learn something like that and NOT TELL ME ABOUT IT!?"

Mario forgot their rivalry for a moment, joining Bowser's side to get a better look at the two giants. "What the… is that Ludwig?"

"Wait," Bowser could hear something buzzing overhead, the overcast sky began to churn unnaturally. Two large insects circled over the square, streams of lightning trailed from their iridescent wings. "What kind of freaky bugs are those? I oughta swat right out of the sky! They're just too scared of how awesome I am to come down!"

Mario looked to where Bowser was growling curses "I've seen that bug before, that's Bismillah… if that's the case," He looked over the balcony frantically "Then that means the Lightning Queen is here too!?"

"Something is wrong, very wrong." Peach could feel the malice grow heavy in the air. She edged towards the balcony doorway, praying for protection from the Star Road itself.


	13. I'm having a ball

The basement growled as the mayhem overwhelmed the surface. Technically it was not a real basement as it was not below the level of the moat or even bellow the castle's foundations. The stone floor was covered in ankle deep water, but it was a mere puddle to Roy and Morton. Fortunately the lights were out allowing them to sneak around in the darkness as best they could. The glowing complexion of the Boo ahead provided enough light to see where the strange pair had gone. Roy was not sure what confused him more, that a Toad could despise Princess Peach or how wearing both a spiney shell helm and mushroom cap was a fashionable combination? Unlike the upper levels of the palace, the basement was dank and mostly used for storage. A far cry from the luxurious and sparkling image of the grand ballrooms and halls above. These old corridors were forgotten until a servant needed to hide something from sight. At least Bowser's Castle had the foresight to put the dungeons and the laboratories in the lower levels.

Morton and Roy both felt a little disgusted at the mould accumulating along the edges of the wall. It was also a little cold down there as well. They tried their best to remain hidden with their respective weapons readied. They frequently stole a peek from behind a corner to see the Toad girl placing strange clay on the wall. Morton felt something slimy touch his tail making him lurch forward and into sight.

"Don't kill me," Gallileo screeched as she covered her eyes.

"But you're already dead." Scaramouch reminded as her ghostly friend broke into a smile. She turned to the fallen Koopaling commanding "And who are you!?"

Morton was at a loss for words for the first time in his life. Given his large size he had never seen any Toad stand up to him like that. Even now she stood before him, hands on hips and impatiently tapping her foot. There was no fear in her eyes, no indication that she was about to turn and flee.

"We're members of the Koopalings, you little twerp," Roy snarled back as he emerged from behind the corner "The question is, who are you?"

"I'm Gallileo!" the Boo waved cheerfully "And that's Scaramouch. It's lovely to meet you both."

Scaramouch snapped "Don't just shout our names out like that!"

"Why not? I'm being polite."

"You're not even that much of a hot shot anyway," Roy laughed, walking right past them all to inspect the dot of clay on the wall. He prodded it with a talon mockingly.

The sound of splashing water was followed by a slap on his wrist. Scaramouch growled back "Don't touch that. Besides I haven't set it up yet."

"Oh, so you're Morton Jr and the pink guy is Roy?"

Both Roy and Scaramouch were perplexed to find Morton and Gallileo politely conversing like they were on a picnic. Morton smiled "I don't like the formalities, just call me Morton."

This earned an eye roll from both Roy and Scaramouch. The Toad quickly started slamming various pieces of metal into the strange clay. She hastily reminded "Gallileo, you don't want to miss the fight do you?"

Gallileo laughed at the idea, she looked to the two Koopalings "Oh, you should come watch it with us!" She took Morton by the hand and led him down a corridor "This should take us right out of the castle, near that bridge that overlooks the moat from the eastern side."

Roy shook his head, this was not the reaction he was expecting. It would have been easier to just brawl and let their fists do the talking but they turned the tables on him. They were either very cunning or very naive opponents. With little else to do he followed after Scaramouch after she finished tinkering with the wads of clay she had left on the walls, sticking metal contraptions into them. He paused as he heard a timer echo down the corridors, instinctively quickening his pace and stuffing Scaramouch under his arm. When he glanced over his shoulder he saw a glow followed by heat. An explosion was in the process of chasing them.

The side of the castle erupted as fire and smoke spewed. The propelled weight of Roy and Morton successfully shattered through stone for them to land safely on the opposite street. They both uncurled from their spiked shells, adjusting to their surroundings. Roy put Scaramouch back on the ground, only to catch her as she stumbled around. Gallileo materialised from the air with a twirl, smiling happily as Boos always did.

"That was… interesting." Scaramouch endeavoured to stand on her own feet again "I guess I put the countdown on a shorter time."

Before they could say anything else, the eastern wing of the castle made a strange groaning noise. The structure came undone completely as bricks, tiles and wood crumbled into the moat like a landslide. The castle looked as though something large had torn off the side of the building. Scaramouch gave herself a thumbs up "Looks like that was enough to do a decent amount of structural damage."

"You know, for a piece of clay that looks like snot," Roy nodded to her without looking too impressed "You're not bad for a fungus twerp."

"I guess I should thank you for grabbing me."

They both turned at the excited cheers of Morton and Gallileo. Roy looked to the horizon with confusion, the airship fleet had withdrawn, most of the kingdom was now in ruins or flattened. However he felt like he was in a bad monster movie with the sight of a huge knight in armour of ice and a body of water standing before the main gate of Peach's Castle. Opposite the plate clad warrior was Ludwig, only a giant, demonic Ludwig. Roy felt his blood boil at the very sight of him.

Morton was clearly impressed, he whistled and remarked "Whoa, Ludwig learnt how to turn into a giant like Bowser! Then again I can't imagine the king being too happy about that. Ever since that Chippy minion disappeared he hasn't been able to turn giant at all. Come to think of it, I never even met Chippy… in fact I don't think anyone did."

Gallileo's eyelashes flickered "Bowser? Who is Bowser?"

"King of Koopas, we're his elite squad of minions. Ludwig was in that squad too until he… left."

"That's weird, he never mentioned any of you."

"Wait, you know Ludwig!?"

"Yes, he's been living in Rhapsody for the past year."

Scaramouch joined them, pointing at Ludwig in the distance "Alright, just putting it out there, but when the hell did he learn black magic!?"

Gallileo scratched her head as she recalled "He didn't really hide it, I mean, he did openly request necromantic texts from the raids and he talked about it a lot with Magnifico… he also had a tendency to read the Thanatos Chronicles over his coffee."

"So he was just pretending to be a pianist?" She heard Morton laugh "I said, PIANIST!"

"Why can't he be both a pianist and a warlock?"

Morton had lost it by then as he held his stomach from laughing too hard. Scaramouch rolled her eyes again, noticing that Roy had stormed off. She kicked Morton in the shin to get his attention "Wait, where is the pink guy gone?"

He was unharmed by his strike, his thick, scaled hide brushed off most bumps and scratches. Morton finally caught his breath "Ah, that's just what Roy is like when it comes to Ludwig. The two have been rivals for years."

"Really? Ludwig never struck me as the competitive type."

"Seriously?" Morton laughed in her face "That's hilarious, you wanna know why he does his hair like that and walks around with proper posture? To make sure he's at the very least the same height as Roy."

A monstrous howl echoed from the giant's duel. Morton tagged along with Gallileo and Scaramouch as they made their way to a safe yet opportunistic location to watch. In the back of his mind he wondered where Lemmy was, he had a habit of keeping a stash of sweets with him. Actually Morton decided mentally that perhaps popcorn was more appropriate while he ran with them.

* * *

The frosty knight raised its sword to the heavens, summoning a shimmering barrier of light to surround the remains of Mushroom Kingdom. It then pointed its gleaming blade at Ludwig, daring him to strike after his demonic battle cry. Ludwig turned away briefly to snicker, flames of darkness flared around the talons of his hands and the corners of his mouth. Insulted by such insolence, the knight advanced recklessly, sword arced back to strike overhead. The blade swang down like an executioner but Ludwig reached up and grabbed it before it followed through. His scales had hardened to the point that it barely made a scratch on his palm.

While the knight was distracted, he followed through with a swipe of his talons. His opponent ripped the sword from his hand to leap away safely. Ludwig advanced grabbing the knight by its pauldrons and slamming it to the ground. He pinned it down before he began to savagely smash its face in. Something was amiss though, his hands began to feel cooler until finally one of his fists became stuck in his opponent's face. Frost crawled over his scales, shooting up his arm as he struggled to break free. Unaware that another knight was forming from the bend in the river nearby, this one was built for agility rather than strength. Its armour was made from frosty mail and it wielded a spear.

In a panic, Ludwig released a great ball of shadowy flames from his mouth. It was enough to give him a chance to break free of the encroaching ice before the spear of the new opponent attempted to pierce him through the chest. He backed away carefully, keeping on the offensive while surveying his two opponents as the lighter knight advanced towards him. The plate clad knight stood, its armour reforming to its original status and unravelling any damage inflicted upon it. Ludwig lashed out wildly to deflect the oncoming lunge of the spear knight. As it recoiled there was a brilliant flash of light, the sound of thunder roared as the frozen giant writhed with lightning. Both helmet and head were pierced cleanly through like an arrow had passed through it. Finally to dissipate into glaciers and torrential rain as it fell to pieces.

He identified the cause of the lightning strike, a large insect like Bismillah darted wildly through the sky. It possessed the head, stinger and markings of a wasp, but its physique was akin to a dragonfly with filamentous legs and a compact body trailing into an elongated abdomen. Six pairs of iridescent wings shimmered with veins of light, the fore wings always broader than the hind wings. Seated behind its head was Diabella riding confidently through the daunting sky. It was obvious where this abomination of nature had come from. His attention to the fight returned just in time to miss the careless swing of the first frost knight. The sword burying itself in the ground, the knight frantically attempted to pull it free.

In that moment Figaro saw his opportunity while Magnifico wove her various hexes on him. The soles of his shoes glowed and the giant hammer he wielded crackled with the boon of lightning. The enchantment on his shoes allowed him to run up the solid ice, finally to be flung onto the knight's arm as it retracted the sword from the ground. Ludwig howled again, breathing fireballs at his opponent with rage. Illogically the fire had little effect other than slightly melt the elaborate embellishments on its plate armour.

"That guy is insane…" Larry stated, he had watched the mysterious Hammer Bro dash up the knight's weapon. He and Wendy could not flee like the other Toads. They were fascinated by the strange turn of events as they carefully navigated the partially destroyed buildings to best avoid the monstrous fight.

"That's all you're taking away from this!?" Wendy shook her head "Really? Out of everything we've just seen, that's the only thing you think is insane?"

"Hi Wendy! Hi Larry! How cool is this!? BEST. DAY. EVER!" Morton screamed from the other side of the square. He waved madly as he ran alongside a Toad and Boo.

Wendy buried her face in her palm, she was surrounded by idiots.

* * *

The car skidded to halt at the edge of the main gate to the Mushroom Kingdom. Wario, Waluigi and Syrup were completely flummoxed by the sight before them. A third of the castle had been blasted away, the town was in ruins, the earth was littered with the wreckage of airships and the sky was brewing with an ominous storm. It squatted over the kingdom and cloaked it in foreboding darkness as the titanic fighters duked it out. They paled as they realised one of the combatants was Ludwig as he viciously brawled with a frozen knight. Neither of them could recognise the knight's armour style or the crests embellished on its cuirass and pauldrons.

Wario stammered "I think… that little brat can keep the diamond…"

Waluigi brought his attention to another matter altogether "Since when could Koopas turn into giant monsters!? Don't tell me the Koopazilla movies are based on fact!"

Syrup pondered out loud "Well, there were rumours about Bowser turning into a giant monster… maybe he's finally passed it on to the Koopalings."

"This is awful, do we even bother getting involved?"

"Well, when one door closes, another opens."

"I see what you mean," Wario grinned back to the sly pirate wench "We should loot the treasure vaults while they're distracted."

Waluigi remained silent, knowing he was outnumbered by the two misers. The car revved its engine loudly as it charged down the outer streets towards the castle.


	14. I don't want to stop

For the time being Ludwig remained on the defensive, trying to look for an opportunity to inflict sustaining damage. The mystery of where such an opportunity would present itself was infuriating but exhilarating in a way. Ludwig could not recall the last time he had fought with such a cunning and worthy opponent. To actually feel invigorated by the thrill of the fight instead of pretending to care, like he did when battling Mario. The knight appeared to have no nervous system to even feel pain or any kind of bodily functions that could be damaged. Aside from its frosty armour it had no bones to break. He lashed out to grab the shield while the knight attempted to bash him with it. Wrenching it from his opponent's hands, Ludwig cast it far into the distance with no consideration as to where it landed. This did not prove effective as the knight grew a second sword from its gauntlet.

Out of frustration, Ludwig cast another shadow spell, raising his hands and moving them with the grace of a conductor. The air grew heavy with the shift in the atmosphere as the wind gained a mind of its own. The spell reached a mighty crescendo as twisting vortexes of malevolent darkness manifested around his opponent. It tore through the knight but did not make it falter as it advanced. Ludwig did not successfully evade as the frozen blade sliced through his shoulder. The wound frosted over that was so cold it burned. He began to panic a little, he was lethargic and getting sloppy in his technique while the knight showed no signs of fatigue. Ludwig's body was running purely on adrenaline. He needed a plan and he needed it now, however there was a primal rage in his mind. It clouded his thoughts, only making him lust for the thrill of obliterating his opponent. A glimmer shone beneath the knight's watery body as something shot from its hand and up its arm to disappear into the chest. Ludwig did not even notice that was something clambering and scaling the creature in swift pursuit of it.

He was so close to shattering the core. Figaro was quite familiar with arcane golems, they appeared nearly invincible so long as their core was unscathed. For that irritating gemstone acted as a conduit between the caster and the monster. So long as the bond was maintained, the golem could regenerate and keep functioning. There was no time to locate the caster so he had to improvise. The various magic boons bestowed upon him made the ascent possible, but it was still incredibly dangerous. His war hammer was a little taller than him and had to be wielded with two hands. Nevertheless, he knew he could create a target for Ludwig to strike should he corner that blasted core. The smooth gemstone orb almost tittered at him as it disappeared from view beneath the cuirass. Figaro's sight was enhanced to see its shimmering trail through the water. However something needed to throw the golem off its game to confuse the core. He scaled atop the pauldron, looking for a way to safely descend and navigate the surface of the cuirass.

At that moment, two rampant giant Chain Chomps were speeding towards the fight. Iggy remained in control of Chompella in the relative safety of their cart. Lemmy was balanced on Chompella's head, a glowing star in hand as he waited for the signal. Fandango was perched on Mia's head, occasionally sliding down to her tail to avoid the wreckage as scraps of buildings were sent flying. They just passed Ludwig's feet and were on course to crash into the ice knight.

Iggy glanced to Fandango, he screamed "Now!?"

"NOW!" Fandango yelled back as they simultaneously fed their pets the Super Stars.

Euphoric music rang in the air. The Chain Chomps were transformed into shimmering rainbow nightmares. For a few brief moments, they were completely invincible, a dangerous gift for rampaging bringers of destruction. Trails of prismatic light revealed their stampeding path. Travelling side by side through the ruins below, they divided to veer in different directions. As they circled around they moved into a pincer formation. Iggy panicked as Lemmy tumbled off Chompella's head with a maniacal laugh, but relaxed when he saw Lemmy was safely caught by Morton on the side lines. He steered Chompella up a series of partially destroyed buildings. The debris had luckily fallen to create a sloping ramp that was in line with the knight's greaves.

Realising that time was short, Figaro let go of the raised edge of the pauldron. He freefell down the front of the knight's cuirass, deep breath in, deep breath out. The core swirled in the centre of the aqueous body, taunting him again. He raised his hammer against the pull of gravity. With all his might he struck the cuirass to shatter through the ice.

Ludwig smiled smugly, the opening he had been waiting for had triggered. A fault line cracked along the knight's chest, all pointing towards a large divot in the cuirass. Clenching his fists, he focused his power to envelop them with darkness as he lunged forward.

Iggy and Fandango waved to each other casually as their Chain Chomps passed by. Chompella tore through the knight's knees while Mia shattered the ankles. The power of the Super Stars destroyed the impenetrable frost armour. Although Iggy's trajectory was thrown off without warning as Figaro crash landed in the cart. Chompella bounced off to land in an opposite building while Mia circled around the main square. Finally the rainbow horror had ended as both Chain Chomps reverted to their original hues.

The knight teetered uneasily to fall back on the barrier protecting the castle. It was given no reprieve as Ludwig performed a game ending uppercut. His fist tore through the knight's chest first, through the conveniently placed fault line then ripped upwards to violently jolt the knight into the air. His punch followed through, smashing the helmet asunder, a bright shimmer of light escaped the core as it cracked. A geyser of water erupted as he tore his fist free, that rained down on the earth below. The knight fell to pieces, toppling into the moat and through Peach's Castle as the barriers dissipated. Ludwig stood back to admire his handiwork, the lingering vapour made his scales and hair gleam. He laughed cruelly, the dark aura intensifying around him as he posed victoriously.

His victory felt short lived though, as the cacophony of screams in his head continued to fight for control of him. His inner voice demanded some sense of order his body. Yet his primal nature, egged on by the voices of the abyss, denied such a claim. His opponent was defeated and now he wanted to destroy more. The feeble castle of Princess Peach was begging him to finish it. He could see Mario and Peach attempting to flee the balcony, recoiling in fear as they saw him. Only Bowser remained, defiant and as stubborn as ever, he was shouting and wildly making gestures. Ludwig was in no mood to listen though, he liked the idea of smacking Bowser down like the insignificant little bug he was. It would be so easy right now.

Then came the roar of the skies above and the deafening buzzing. Bismillah and Beelzebub were circling above his head, gathering barrages of lightning from the clouds. Their exoskeletons glowed neon blue as the electricity coursed through their bodies. At the last moment Ludwig gazed upwards to see Diabella sky diving towards him. Her trident was poised and ready, the outer prongs rotating as all the lightning conjured between the sky, the bugs, even the strange pack strapped to her, were reaching their limit. Ludwig had no time to react as the colossal lightning storm struck.

By now Roy was in the middle of Dimble Woods, his fury had consumed him to the point where he had no idea where his feet were taking him. He glanced back in the direction of the Mushroom Kingdom to see a brilliant flash of light. Twisting streams of lightning wildly struck the earth with the force of the stars themselves. He was glad he never removed his sunglasses. The storm was so bright and erratic it illuminated the night to resemble a sunny day.

When Ludwig's sight returned, he found his body was completely numb. He could see the rain fall but not feel the pinpoints of coldness as they drenched him. He could no longer hear the siren song of the abyss or the voices that taunted him. The limits of the transformation had run its course as the darkness enveloped him again. He looked up to see Diabella hit a switch on her harness, deploying two mechanical diaphanous insect wings from her pack that slowed her descent. He pulled away from her as she appeared to vanish upwards, to the cloud line. The ground hit back hard as he finally returned to his usual size to collapse on the ground like a ragdoll. He could do nothing but stare vacantly as his body refused to budge. Silence rang in his mind, he could see things moving, people's mouths speaking, but there was no sound. He felt himself pulled up by someone bigger than him. The panicked face of Lemmy appeared before his sight as he was rolled over, Morton appeared as well.

Lemmy waved his arms erratically "Why isn't he speaking!? What's wrong with him!?"

"LUDWIG!" Morton shook him like a dog with a chew toy "Come on, don't ignore us! I won't let you ignore us!"

Larry ran over, he grabbed Ludwig's shoulder and yelled "You smug jerk! You disappear then try to kill us!? Wait, why isn't he talking!?" Larry prodded Ludwig in the stomach, an action that only the suicidal would do. He flinched, expecting painful revenge, only nothing came from it. "Holy crap, he really is broken!"

Morton suggested "Anyone got some chocolate? Maybe the smell'll wake him up?"

"Stop it you morons!" Wendy snarled, her heels clacked on the remains of the paved road "He'd be yelling at us by now, he's probably injured or worse."

"You're very right my dear." They turned to see a strange yet impeccably dressed Magikoopa. A black parasol in hand that sheltered her from the gentle rain. She tipped her top hat with a curt smile "I am Magnifico, if you want Ludwig to live, then you have to trust me."

Larry jumped up, storming over to her in a panic "Live!? Is he gonna die!? What's wrong with him?"

She batted him away with her parasol, coldly replying "Yes, because he's an idiot who currently lacks the fortitude to control the powers of the Underwhere, however I have a friend who can help him."

Wendy raised an arm, stopping Morton from handing Ludwig over to the strange newcomer. "And who is this friend? Why should we even trust you?"

"Ludwig was living in the city of Rhapsody for the past year, we are friends. Due to him conjuring such powerful shadow magic I fear his body has been compromised as the darkness has attempted to possess him. The only way to undo the influence of the void is to take him to King Boo."

"Then we'll take it from here."

"You'll never get there in time!" Gallileo cruelly teased as she appeared before Wendy's face. Then vanished to be next to Morton, she playfully tugged on one of his three black hairs, pulling it out without him noticing. "Come on big guy, I promise King Boo will fix him right up."

"Big guy?" Larry teased "HA! Morton has a girlfriend and she's dead… so are you a necrophiliac?"

"Girlfriend? Don't be ridiculous you little brat, too much of an age gap." She leant over a pinched Larry's cheek, only to snatch a lock of his hair.

Distracted by Gallileo, they did not even see Magnifico weave another spell and fire it at Ludwig. The light engulfed him, warping him out of sight with a flash. Before the Koopalings could protest, she waved her arms again to vanish into the air. Gallileo had also disappeared with a wicked cackle.

Lemmy glanced around "Where'd they go? I wanna play hide and seek too!"

Wendy hissed "They're not playing, they just kidnapped Ludwig!"

Morton folded his arms over his chest as he pondered aloud "Wow… I feel compelled to go after him and attack anyone who stands in my way… what is this feeling? Do I need to go back to anger management classes? BECAUSE I HATE ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASSES!"

"You don't have to go anywhere, you idiot. I think we should regroup and strategise, that and it's quicker to get to the Twisted Manors from the Dark Lands than the Mushroom Kingdom." Wendy raised her arms to declare "This raid is over. Let's go home."

"What are you looking for?" Larry pried as he noticed Morton looking around bewildered.

"It's just," he frowned and his brow furrowed "Looks like Scaramouch is gone too…"

"Scary moose? Is that like a new imaginary friend?"

The remark was promptly replied by Morton hitting Larry on the head with his fist.

"Come to think of it, where's Fandango and Iggy?" Lemmy bounced off in the direction of where Chompella had crashed.

"Will you losers stop making up names? And go find Iggy and Roy while you're all at it!" She looked upwards out of curiosity "I can only see one more chance to get some answers." Wendy saw the strange woman who had caused the lightning glide over to the balcony of the castle. She nodded to herself, flicking her gold bangles into her hands as she made her way to the doors of Peach's Castle. The others did not notice as Larry was still too busy teasing Morton over having an imaginary girlfriend

* * *

The wreckage of the building remained standing, much to Iggy's surprise. He was amazed by the display he had seen, that masked human had created a lightning storm without the aid of magic in the slightest. Even the ingenious wings that sprung from her pack hinted to her knowledge. Honestly, he had no idea humans could make such complex things. His knowledge of robotics and biology meant he was competent at identifying where most devices originated, but this was something new altogether. A union of old steam powered technology with a modern twist. Then there were those insects, there was no doubt in his mind that those creatures did not naturally evolve. They had to have been created in a laboratory.

He then found himself abruptly pulled upright by whoever had crashed landed in his cart. Chompella had fled by now, probably on her way back to the Dark Lands. Iggy found himself face to face with a Hammer Bro, he scratched his head as he growled "You shouldn't crash into people like that."

Figaro made the gesture of a thumbs up or down. He saw Iggy's mouth moving but was too busy listening to music to actually know what he was saying.

Iggy snapped "What do you mean you idiot!? Speak! Hey! Wait, where are you going!?" He quickly clambered to his feet and ran after Figaro. "Tell me who that lady was at least? Is she some kind of inventor? If so, are there any apprenticeships going? I wouldn't mind learning some new tricks from her." He paused as he came to an opening in the ruined building where Figaro had disappeared. The giant spider beetle was standing before it, Figaro was already seated on its back.

Before it could take flight, Iggy grabbed onto one of its legs and held on for grim death. His curiosity was insatiable, he had to know everything about these marvels of technology. A familiar howl of laughter came from beside him. He saw that Lemmy had also tagged along for the ride as the Mushroom Kingdom vanished beneath them.

Lemmy cackled with a giddy smile "Can't let you adventure alone, now can I?"


	15. Cleansing Rain

The gentle rain made the balcony glisten beneath the moonlight. The clouds had parted as the worst of the attack had passed. Bowser did not care where Mario and Peach had run off too. He was too engulfed by his blood curdling rage at the sight of the woman before him. She stood before him, her mask and goggles concealed all emotion. The mechanical wings clicked as the iridescent fabric became loose and the wings folded back into the strange pack. It was not so much a bag as a clockwork box of tricks strapped to her back. From what he had seen so far, it was capable of generating electricity in such currents that she could create lightning. Then again, he never would have guessed it doubled as an emergency glider either. Bowser remained on guard as she just kept staring at him blankly. An odd trident clicked and twitched in her hand.

"So many things I want to do to you…" Diabella said calmly, her mask distorting her voice into a mechanical rasp "I want to kidnap you, incapacitate you and slice you into pieces to see what makes you tick. Oh yes," She laughed to herself "I want to rip your flesh open and see what bones and organs are hiding beneath those muscles and fat. I want to flay you and see what mysteries are to be discovered in your scales. I want to-"

Bowser loudly interrupted "And I want you to stay the hell away from me because you're a psycho!" He wildly shook his head to hide the shiver that just went down his spine "You're worse than Iggy when he starts talking 'bout his stupid science lessons!"

"You seriously think I'm scared of you," She laughed cruelly "You should be terrified of me."

"SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME! I don't know who you think you are, but I'M the villain around here. I don't need some masked gimp upstaging me!" Bowser snarled and menacingly stalked over her, he was a little surprised to see that she was actually a little taller than Peach. "I don't know how you managed to steal one of my minions from under my nose, BUT YOU ARE GOING TO RETURN HIM RIGHT NOW!"

"Minion?" Diabella tilted her head curiously "What minion?"

"Don't act dumb, you know I mean Ludwig! He's my minion, therefore he's my property."

"From what I can deduce he's been living near my lab for the past year and this is the first I've heard of him belonging to anyone."

"Well, consider this a formal complaint! Now give him back, RIGHT NOW!"

"Oh, I see, you just want him back because of his little display. That's all, you only want to know what he knows." Diabella cruelly mocked "What's the matter? Don't you know how to do a Giga transformation on your own? How pathetic, you've wouldn't have lasted long in the old days."

Bowser clenched his fists and raised them "You're going to tell me what your beef with me is!?"

"Well, seeing as you're asking so directly, just give me your eyebrow and I'll be on my way."

His response came in the form of a punch as he charged forward. The heft of his body made him a juggernaut, his fist slammed into the balcony, sending cracks throughout the stone like lightning. Bowser paused and looked around wildly as Diabella had vanished from sight. Her trident rested on the ground in her place. A muffled laugh came from the side of his head. Someone grabbed the leather collar around his neck hard, tugging it back to crush his throat.

She chortled "There's no point in being so strong if you can't hit your target." Her grip on his collar tightened while she remained perched atop his shell. Bowser flailed his arms wildly to throw her off, bucking like a wild animal, yet the pressure on his throat only strengthened.

His breath was running short, Bowser tumbled to the ground and did not rise. His head was spinning from the lack of air, his vision beginning to blur. He whimpered as he felt his eyebrow rip from his face. Still, the tightness of his collar did not lessen.

Mario remained in the doorway, reluctant to flee at the sight of what Diabella was doing to Bowser. Sure, the Koopa King proudly pantomimed as a villain and wore the self-imposed label of evil. However Mario could not believe that he was completely wicked and that somewhere in that overgrown turtle monster was a good person. Bowser had helped him many times when greater villains dared to invade. Now it appeared that a new villain had reared their ugly face. Mario braced himself and charged forward.

Losing herself in the moment, Diabella regaled in Bowser's agony. She had no intention of killing him, but he did not know that. The panic in his struggling limbs and frantic clawing at the ground was almost amusing. Distracted by her torture, she did not see Mario coming until he had crash tackled into her. They tumbled across the balcony, reflexively kicking him away from her as she retrieved her trident and stood ready. She gestured him to attack once more with a wave of her hand. Mario winced as he rose to his feet, it felt like a steel girder had just slammed into his chest.

Bowser spluttered weakly, still too depraved of breath to be of any effect. He glowered, of all the people to come to his aid, why did it have to be that moustachioed plumber? He remained a wounded bystander and observer to the fight, noticing how Diabella wielded her weapon with a skill he had never seen before. Her stance was strong as she never rested, she remained balanced on the balls of her feet, poised to either counter or defend with ease. He briefly entertained the thought of putting her up against the Dual of 100 in the Sammer Kingdom.

His thoughts were torn asunder at the abrupt result of her encounter with Mario. If he had blinked he would have missed it. Mario, with all his bravado and courage, charged forward to attack her once more. Diabella stepped back then followed through by lunging with her trident, the outer prongs grabbing him around the torso. Mario attempted to break free but was silenced by the flash of lightning that surged through him. He fell limp in the trident's grip, Diabella snickered as she tossed his unconscious body over the edge of the balcony.

Perhaps what followed was the most peculiar of all. After she pocketed Bowser's freshly removed eyebrow, Diabella walked right past him and into the castle. It was not so much a walk either, nor a strut nor swagger. It was a march, a simple march. Powerless to stop her, he remained on the ground trying to come up with some kind of plan to escape this maddening place.

The heavy thuds of Diabella's boots heralded her entrance. She passed a cowering blonde woman in a pink gown. Judging her trembling lip and teary eyes she would be of no help to her. Diabella coldly informed "By the way, your wine is awful."

Peach did nothing as Diabella strode past confidently. What kind of monster could be so callous over taking another person's life?

* * *

The balcony fell away from his sight as Mario came face to face with the sprawling ruins that were once Toad Town. His body tumbled against the force of gravity like a leaf in the wind. The magnificence of the Star Road contrasted against the darkness of night. The moat and adjoining rivers looked like azure ribbons were casually woven amidst the buildings. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this safely.

Strangely enough the waters of the moat began to churn once more. Moved by forces unseen, an aqueous tangle of hands reached upwards to catch him. It absorbed the shock of the fall in the process. Mario dared to open his eyes once more to find himself resting on a body of water and completely safe. He turned to a nearby window to see Luigi and Daisy waving and cheering at him. Both of them appeared relieved having been forced to watch his plummet as an unwilling audience. He smiled to himself, at least the masked woman had not found them.

The wet floor in front of him wavered as something rose from within. The silhouette of a tall and stunning woman was slowly building itself from the water. As her form solidified in her elemental conduit, she revealed to be a celestial beauty. Mario was somewhat in awe of her, feeling a similar aura of magical prowess he had felt in Rosalina's presence. The mystery woman had long hair that curled at the tips like a waterfall, two small high pigtails were tied to keep her locks off her face. Her gown was composed of a tight bodice with cap sleeves with the skirt made up of layers upon layers of flowing ribbons. A crest rested upon her neckline, a diamond surrounded by two swirling raindrops. Her crown was a circlet studded with angular gems.

The water silhouette curtsied to Mario, he bowed in reply, unsure of what else to do. With a wave of her hand they were teleported back onto the balcony. Bowser was still on the ground, severely wounded while Peach had thrown all caution to the wind. She was at the railing and was crying with joy at the sight of his rescue. She ran forward and hugged him, almost afraid to let him go.

The silhouette spoke, her voice danced in the air "Princess Peach, I apologise for not being able to save your kingdom… that Dragon Koopa was more trouble than I expected."

Peach answered with surprise "Those knights were your doing?"

"Yes, they were my frost golems, the finest in the land. But I did not expect an opponent to conjure the powers of the other side to augment him."

"Thankyou for coming to our aid though, I've no idea who you even are."

"I am Princess Shalazia of the Arcane Kingdom. Although, this is merely a conjuring of my image, I'm actually back in my palace." Shalazia and Peach curtsied to each other, she continued "When I discovered a nefarious scheme by the Lightning Queen, I had to intervene as best I could."

"And you still need our assistance in dealing with her?"

"Please, you've seen her in action, she is beyond salvation or rehabilitation. Besides, your kingdom is in ruins because of her, do you not want justice?"

"Of her!?" Bowser snapped as he clawed his way to rest on his knees "Look you creepy raindrop, that queen just rode the trail of MY destruction!"

"Be gone you repulsive monster." Shalazia casually waved her arm at Bowser. A watery barrier enveloped him as he disappeared from the balcony.

Mario then grew suspicious "You seem to be good at protecting yourself, why do you need us?"

"Because the only thing that can help me and my kingdom is the Prism Star. However if I actively seek it, it would be too obvious, I would put everything at risk."

"The Prism Star? Never heard of it."

"You wouldn't have, it was an artefact of the Arcane Kingdom used in rites of transcendence and magical augmentation. If I could restore it, then I'd be able to stop the Lightning Queen."

"So what happened to it?"

"It was destroyed long ago and split into seven pieces only to be lost during the Era of Ire, long before either of you were even born."

Peach looked to the ground sheepishly "That was the age of great, great, great, great, grandfather."

"And that man is the one responsible for awakening the divinity of the Star Road and usher in the following eras of peace." Shalazia got down on her knees "As his descendent, I beg of you, please help me now."

She helped Shalazia back on her feet, such gestures were not necessary among monarchs. "But how are we to help? We wouldn't know where to begin looking."

"Please come to my castle, surely you need a safe place to stay while your kingdom is being repaired? We can discuss everything in greater detail."

"Well, we were planning to visit soon actually… until this all happened."

"I see, thankyou." Shalazia approached the edge of the balcony.

Mario tipped his cap to the two princesses "You two stay here, that Lightning Queen is still in the castle somewhere."

"Not necessary, I will expend the remaining magic in this catalyst to drive that wicked woman from your home."

The watery silhouette sparkled before dissipating into the air. Mario and Peach heard the sky growl as shimmering clouds manifested over the kingdom. A gentle rain of glistening stars that resembled tiny sapphires fell upon them. Oddly they felt refreshed and healed, like that could take on the world. They smiled at each other as they saw Toads below them stand and walk around in a daze as their injuries closed up and ceased to be.


	16. Washed away

The halls of the palace were desolate, the guards had scattered quickly to deal with the deployment of Koopa and Goomba troops on the ground. Wendy smiled, it was an opportune moment to explore with little interruption. She decided to take a detour past the royal treasury on the upper floor. Annoyance was the polite way to describe her reaction while a blood vessel looked ready to burst on her forehead. The vault had been blasted open and the majority of treasure had already been looted. So much for treating herself, she really needed a pick me up after such an atrocious night.

The sound of heavy boots stomping down the hall alerted her to an intruder. Wendy threw one of her bangles behind her. The spinning golden hoop narrowly missed the Diabella as she contorted into a backwards bend. Wendy cringed as Diabella slumped down onto her shoulders and rolled over with an oddly feline agility to rise to her feet once more.

Diabella tutted, wagging her finger at Wendy "You know, you should probably get a set of actual chakrams instead of throwing jewelry at people."

The Koopaling relaxed out of her fighting stance and hissed back "What have you done to Ludwig!?"

"Ludwig? To be honest the transformation and the shadow magic was all his doing. I just came along to make sure he doesn't die." Diabella tilted her head "Why are you at ease?"

"What do I look like? Some kind of idiot!" Wendy laughed to herself "I'm not picking a fight against someone like you… not to mention…" She shivered a little "It's gotten pretty cold, I don't understand it…"

"Interesting, yes, something is wrong and it's only going to get worse." Diabella laughed "I like the cut of your jib, young lady. Take this as a token of good nature, just remember, never let anyone take it from you. NEVER!" She retrieved a diamond from her satchel and tossed it to Wendy "Now you should probably head off before I change my mind. No matter what, keep running and stay away from water, it'll kill you."

She caught the diamond, utterly baffled as to what was actually happening. Tense silence hung in the air until Wendy finally ran off. A faint chill hung in the air and small lines of frost were lining every edge in the area. Diabella did not even stop her as she sprinted past. When the she knew Wendy had disappeared down the corridors, Diabella went to where the Koopaling stood. A long black eyelash rested on the floor. She carefully picked it up, placing it in a specimen vial she had retrieved and returned to her satchel.

"Diabella!" A cutlass nearly pierced through her chest as she side stepped with ease. Syrup sliced through with wild slashes of her blade, each one was deflected by a careful position of Diabella's trident. The pirate cursed "You said you only had one of those diamonds! Then Wario has one! Then you gave one to that little brat!? What the hell!? I thought we were allies."

"We are." Diabella laughed under her breath "It's just I don't see the point in letting you know everything that's going on, Maple. It's for your own good."

"Don't call me by my first name!"

"But it's such a nice name."

Syrup let out a screech as she advanced, yet every riposte, each wild hack was simply countered. Diabella did not reciprocate or counter, she was just defending herself with ease. The pirate snapped viciously "Just attack me already? What's the matter? You scared!?"

"Hardly, it's just I think it would be best if we left our quarrel for another day."

Syrup then felt a chill in the air that made her pause. Her breath turned to mist before her eyes.

"Get out of here Maple, don't put yourself in danger over nothing. Technically you don't put yourself in danger for something either."

"What is this?" Syrup finally noticed the abnormal frost growing like mould along the walls, she demanded, brandishing her blade menacingly "Who's there!?"

"She's not here at all, it's just a spell we have to wait out. I suggest you leave before you become its target by accident."

As much as she loathed it, Diabella was usually right about these sorts of things. She did have a gift at ending up in situations where certain solids were about to hit an air conditioning unit. Syrup sheathed her cutlass disgruntledly and promptly took her leave. Not without glaring at Diabella as she sprinted past. Now that she was alone, Diabella stalked the halls of the upper floors looking for an exit onto the roof. Noticing that by the second more frost was gathering and creeping along the walls like a parasitic vine.

"Alright Shalazia, I get it, you don't want me here and I ain't hanging around." Diabella laughed to herself, the ice emitted a sudden crack from the conversation "Pathetic, you couldn't even handle a kid Dragon Koopa all on your own." She leapt forward a few steps to avoid the barrage of frozen lances that hit the ground. She almost skipped as she taunted "Someone's touchy today, not even gracing me with your presence? Is the all mighty Water Princess too good to be seen in the same general area as I?"

The walls crystallised only to contort into jagged spikes. Diabella cartwheeled through the mayhem, completely at ease. "Pathetic, you can't hit me. Why be a princess anyway? Seems like a step back, why not be a queen or empress?" She flopped to the ground like a ragdoll to avoid a cluster of icy shrapnel "Yes, yes, expend your magic so you can be gone from here. Maybe next time you'll have the nerve to actually come and face me. As an overconfident guard once said, I fart in your general direction!"

She picked herself up only to pause at the doorway of Peach's bedroom. A sparkling haze had already homed in on a Star Diamond. The gemstone vanished into the ether with a twinkle, the cold atmosphere disappeared in the same moment. The chilling temperature dissipated as the magic had run its course. Diabella shook her head and let out a sigh, she whispered to herself "Two down… five left. Damn it. I hope that sceptre wasn't found."

The window revealed that the bedroom was located in an upper tier of the castle. This looked as good of an opportunity as she was going to get. She jumped up on the windowsill, kicking the frame and shattering the glass to create her exit. Diabella carefully landed on the red tiles and made her ascent to a higher and much flatter part of the roof. All she wanted to do now was drink herself to oblivion. Something was amiss though as the horrid stench of garlic and foul body odour assaulted her senses. She jumped forward to just evade the attack targeted at her.

Wario fell flat on his stomach, damaging the roof in the process. Subtlety had never been a strength of his. He got to his feet again to see her staring vacantly back at him, although it was hard to tell with those goggles and that mask covering her face. She flailed her arms "For crying out loud, what now!?"

"I got a problem with you lady, I need more compensation for all stuff you broke at my castle and I want another diamond or two to keep me happy."

"Can it wait? I can't be bothered right now, I just want to go home."

"No you can't go home! We need to settle this now!"

"Take a number and wait in line with everyone else."

"There are no numbers to take and there's no line anywhere."

"Alright, then where do you live?"

"You know that already, you robbed it a week or so ago."

"Good, now go there and await further instructions. It will be sent by pigeon." Diabella tapped a button on her harness, the sound frequency was inaudible to most vertebrates. However invertebrates had no such problem, Beelzebub descended from the sky and landed beside Diabella. She proceeded to mount it as attempted to take off.

"A pigeon!? What kind of idiot do you take me for!?"

Diabella shouted back "A colossal one!"

Wario was not pleased by this development in the slightest. He reached forward, grabbing hold of the long tail that trailed behind Beelzebub. The insect let out a screech as it found its ascent hindered. Beelzebub then released its stinger, which was conveniently positioned at the end of the tail. The stinger was thrust into Wario's inner arm, right along his elbow joint and up his forearm. To finish it off, Diabella turned coldly and launched a bolt of lightning at him, forcing him to release her as she disappeared into the sky. The might of the shock was enough to send Wario flying in the opposite direction.

* * *

The Wario Car groaned beneath the weight of all the loot they had stolen. Piles of sacks filled with gems, coins and intricate antiques were tossed carelessly into a heap. Waluigi was a little disturbed by the sheer number of porcelain collectables in the vault too. The kitsch craze had ended a few years back so they were worthless and openly mocked frequently. Then again, maybe someone in the castle was hiding their collection in the vault to avoid embarrassment. He finished packing up the car and kept an eye out for anyone who would dare stop him. It was doubtful anyone would intervene with the state of disarray around them. He kicked the ground and grumbled to himself, Wario had abruptly run off along with Syrup leaving him to do all the grunt work. There was no sign of either of them which was frustrating to say the least. He was already late for his piranha plant's nightly feed and his programs on television.

He wrung out his soggy hat, the random waves of abrupt rain only added to his displeasure. This was getting ridiculous as there did not appear to be anyone around. Waluigi was tempted to maybe go looking but that required effort he could not be bothered using. Like a meteor, something large crashed into the moat nearby sending up a wave. He leapt back just in time to avoid the violent splash. A few seconds later, Wario lumbered from the side of the moat. His skin was taking on a faint shade of blue as he stumbled to the car. He collapsed into the back of the car demanding "Doctor, now!"

"What jus ha-" Waluigi growled to himself, jumping in the driver's seat and turning the key in the ignition "You know what, forget it. I'll get you to a stupid doctor."

* * *

The dusky sky was making Dimble Woods harder to navigate with each hour. During the day, this forest was hardly anything to be concerned with. Wrigglers had a habit of keeping it organised and tidy so that they could farm crops for neighbouring kingdoms. The order and cleanliness was unsettling to say the least, particularly when compared to the wild overgrowth of every other forest in the world. Roy could have sworn he had passed that same stupid statue he had been circling for the past half hour. The Wriggler statue wore the same dopey grin as a lobotomised fool. He violently struck it, knocking the head of the stone caterpillar into the distance.

A familiar ringing sound echoed in the air, alerting him to the presence of a warp pipe nearby. As he followed the source he found a large warp pipe concealed by the bushes and trees. The green metal shaking as someone was hurtled through its passage. Roy shook his head at Wendy while she picked herself up from the ground. He noticed how her claws were clutched tightly around something in her hand.

She nodded to him "Oh good, we need to get back home right now." She looked over her shoulder nervously.

He cocked an eyebrow "What's with you? Where're the others?"

"Just… rattled, something very odd happened and I hope the others are on their way back to the castle."

"Something odd?"

"I met a human… she, uh… she is completely unlike any of those ditzy princesses. Instead she just gave me this diamond," She uncurled her talons to reveal the stone in question "And told me to keep it safe. I also think the water is trying to kill me."

"The water?" Roy erupted with raucous laughter.

She fumed "Shut up! It's true! You don't know what it was like back there!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Roy rubbed his eye as he sniggered "Water trying to kill you, that's ridiculous."

"Not as ridiculous as you throwing a temper tantrum at the sight of Ludwig!"

His joyful demeanour snapped to a volatile rage "Well of course I'm angry, that pudgy tone-deaf nerd took everyone's thunder! He is such a whiney attention seeking loser!"

"Oh puh-lease! You are just as bad as he is when it comes to attention, always preening and flexing in front of your mirror like a total dork."

"At least I got a body to show off."

"That makes no sense! We all have bodies!"

"Yeah, but mine is awesome and muscular."

They continued to bicker through the night while they made their way through the forest. Little did Roy realise that his eruption of anger on that statue had grazed his knuckles badly. Smears of crimson and scale dotted the rough stone. Scaramouch lingered in the shadows to collect the pieces of himself that he had left behind.

When they rounded a turn of the beaten path, a bend of river came into view. Wendy hesitated momentarily, recalling Diabella's warning. Roy sniggered under his breath and edged towards the water. He played the utter fool as he pantomimed fear at the watery expanse. Looking back at Wendy, he expected a snarky retort, instead she was wide eyed and unable to speak. A shaking finger was pointing at something looming behind him. He turned in time just to leap out of the way as a giant tentacle of water lashed out. Accidentally dropping his beloved Bullet Bill launcher in the process, the tentacle merely grabbed it and dragged it within its aqueous body. The contraption disappeared into the river never to be seen again.

Immediately they both bolted into the distance, beyond the reach of the watery ambusher. Wendy sneered back at him "I told you so!"


	17. Fading Souls

The Wario Car sped quicker with the added heft of the loot. However the extra momentum was having a negative impact on the handling of the vehicle. Waluigi gritted his teeth and panicked every time they took a corner, the car threatened to rear upwards onto two wheels. He could not believe the extent of the damage done to the Mushroom Kingdom. Usually when Bowser attacked it was just the castle that was affected. Now the surrounding town was mostly ruined buildings on the verge of collapse. He doubted the damage was too bad as Toads were walking around, picking up the pieces and trying to rebuild in the early morning. Dawn had not broken yet which was fine with him, the cover of darkness always made shady business flow smoother.

Overhead a young Toad woman recognised the car speeding through the city like a bat out of hell. Her pink and white mushroom cap ended into two long tails to resemble hair. She wore a magenta dress with a large red vest lined with gold. Knowing fully well that the car was not going to stop, she climbed up to a ruined second storey. Just as the car was passing by, she jumped and landed in the passenger side of the spacious front seats.

"Hey Waluigi," Toadette remarked casually, kicking her feet up on the dashboard "I'm crashing with you guys since my place is wrecked. Gonna be a few weeks before it's fixed."

"Feet off the dash!" Wario snapped, his mind trying its best to remain conscious although it was becoming difficult with each passing moment.

Waluigi growled back "What makes you think you can just crash with us anyway!?"

Toadette smirked as she lowered her feet "You use my shop as front for your illegal piranha plant fights and don't get me started on that gambling ring Wario runs out of there. Besides, that castle is so spacious, you wouldn't notice little old me."

His scowl turned to a frown as he begrudgingly admitted "Fine, you can stay with us for a while."

"Whoa, and here I was thinking Wario couldn't look any worse." She added as she looked to the back seat "Take a left at the next street, I know a good doctor and he doesn't ask questions."

"Perfect!" Waluigi laughed and followed her directions. They wildly tore down the boulevards to the shadier parts of town. Now that he thought about it, what was it about Toad women that made them so dangerous? It was almost like they feared no one in the slightest. So far he had never met a demure or timid Toad woman, he also thought it was a little odd that they never seemed to take higher roles within Peach's Castle. His attention was brought back to reality when they pulled up to a relatively closed up building at the edge of town. Toadette jumped out of the car, gesturing him to follow.

* * *

Darkness parted from his senses and Ludwig finally felt alive once again. He did not know how long it had been, but everything went numb, frozen within a void. It was the most terrifying thing he had ever experienced. Feeling pieces of himself cease to exist as the calming silence enveloped him. Now he was staring at what appeared to be cavern roof, large jagged stones and onyx threatened to chomp on him. A swirling haze slunk between the obstacles making it difficult to tell if those stalactites were even connected to a cavern. He swore he could see flicker of stars overhead.

Ludwig nervously stood and surveyed the landscape. He found himself in a dismal cavern that at the same time, felt like various stones and onyx floating in a sea of night. It stretched out beyond the horizon in the endless void. That same haze hung in the air and obscured the jagged structures in the distance. The few plants were nightmarish and angular, defying all sense as they varied in shades of red and purple. The sky overhead changed erratically with vivid shades of blue and violet, like the colours were trapped in a vicious conflict. Amidst the darkness were streams of amber and gold that wavered like water.

He stood on an island of stone with a cobbled path leading down to ghoulish courtyard. A fountain spraying amber liquid resided in its centre. Strange spectres made of geometric shapes and with identical faces floated around aimlessly. He knew these creatures were Shaydes, the forms the good would take once their games were over. With little else to do, he approached the strange square in hopes of getting some answers. Upon approach he saw giant demonic creatures dressed in fine suits strolling amidst the ghosts. They paid him no heed as they appeared more preoccupied with their newspapers and briefcases.

"Excuse me," Ludwig said loudly when he reached a duo of Shaydes chattering away.

They did not even acknowledge him, they kept speaking to each other. One queried "So what ended your game?"

"Was looking for treasure at the bottom of pits, the hard part is you can't tell which ones are bottomless until you fall down it." The other Shayde cackled "Ended up dying of starvation from falling for so long."

"Ouch! That sounds awful, well, welcome to the Underwhere! It ain't so bad done here so long as you don't anger the D-men. Never go underground either, nothing but Skellobits and the Onyx Witch down there."

"The Underwhere!? But my game isn't over! Listen you fool," Ludwig attempted to grab the Shayde and demand his attention. Only to discover his hand passed right through him, even gazing at his talons Ludwig realised he was now partially transparent. "What? How?" He shook his head wildly, if his game was really over it was illogical that he would maintain his true body. Finally snapping as he roared "What the fuck is going on here!?" It was then he realised that no one was acknowledging him because they could not see him. He was ghost among the dead, although he had no idea how to rectify the situation. Feeling faint, he braced himself on the edge of the nearby fountain.

In the midst of his despair, an eerily familiar song made his worries cease. Although he had no recollections as to where he had heard it before. It called to him as it echoed through the night and drifted through his consciousness. The melody was sung by a woman, her voice was controlled, elegant with a dark melancholy that was eerily beautiful. He followed after it, keeping his ears keen for its location and paying careful attention to the volume. Carefully navigating the crags, he cursed his love of chocolate as he squeezed his way through the narrower gaps. He soon began to hear the cries of the demonic businessmen. Their massive forms made it difficult to manoeuvre through the area. One of them snarled "Queen Jaydes is gonna kill us if we don't find that fading soul!"

"Do we really have to see… well, you know, _her_?"

"She's the only one we know of that can even see them."

"But she's terrifying!"

"Who would you rather face the wrath of, Queen Jaydes or the Onyx Witch?"

"Neither! But… oh, I hate that damn witch. First she takes over the lower regions of the Underwhere, then she backs our fair queen into a corner when she claimed the well of souls for herself. Then she tells the queen that she'll control the Skellobits now Bonechill is gone. Not ask, she TELLS!"

"Would you rather leave the Skellobits to their own devices? I think the alliance is a good idea."

"True, Skellobits are jerks, but I still don't like it one bit."

Ludwig was not keen on asking them anything so he continued on to the source of the song. He quickly lost the D-men as he descended through the clusters of crystal that now engulfed all surfaces. Like a crawling vine they led him down to a source, close to the surface of the ocean of night and amber.

The ethereal siren came into view as he clumsily fell to the ground having successfully wriggled through an opening amidst an onyx cluster. It was a female Koopa, probably taller than Bowser but much lither and leaner. Her body was more serpentine than dragon as it was slender yet muscular. It curved in the vague form of an hourglass to denote her femininity. Yet she still looked terrifying with her menacing talons and claws. A large armoured spiked shell was perched on her shoulders and followed down her spine. It appeared that she had some sort of horned head dress on that divided into tails of false dreadlocks and plumage. Her whole form writhed with shadowy energy, occasionally swirling with violet and red runes. It trailed behind her, giving the illusion of the trail of a gown.

She stood atop a makeshift pedestal of onyx, singing to herself as spectral creatures of the void circled around her. They playfully danced to her tune as they hovered and swooped through the air. They were more shadow than solid, erratically shifting through various shapes of nightmarish forms. Suddenly she stopped singing, she turned around with the commanding presence of a queen. Ludwig now saw that she was truly engulfed with the colours of night. Gemstone studded gold bracelets, armbands and necklace adorned her body. Her headdress was festooned with leather and gold plating bearing the same jewels. Her face was peculiar, a reduced snout to make it seem wider and she had three sharp fangs poking from her upper lip. Two smaller ones were in the corners of her mouth while one poked through in the middle.

She narrowed her eyes framed with black ink, slit pupils adding to her intimidating appearance. She did not possess brute strength or rage like Bowser. Instead there was a cold detachment in her stance, like in that instance she could chose to rip you limb from limb or unleash her shadowy minions to do her bidding. Her greeting was more a statement "And so, another child of night appears to dance with the dead."

Before Ludwig could attempt to speak, a trio of demons had reluctantly stumbled into the sanctuary. They appeared wary of the Koopa woman, not daring to make eye contact with her. They even kept their distance from her, warily remaining at the edge of the crystallised chamber.

One of the D-men rasped "Onyx Witch, have you seen a fading soul around here?"

"A fading soul?" She innocently tapped a claw on her chin "None would dare come down here. That'd be madness for a soul so weak to even be in my presence."

"I see, well, if you do notice anything."

"I will report it to Queen Jaydes, got it. Now be gone." The witch looked to the swirls of darkness overhead "You're making these fragments worry."

"Wait a minute, what's that over there?" Another D-man looked right at Ludwig.

"And I told you to be gone." The Onyx Witch raised a talon in his direction which prompted a volatile blast of darkness and light to be unleashed. The D-man was sent flying into the distance the moment it struck him. She glared at the others coldly as she said "May I remind you, that you are not welcome here. This region of the Underwhere does not belong to Queen Jaydes anymore."

"Only because you soul stealing void walkers have made it inhospitable to the rest of us!" The other D-man instantly regretted his words, he let out a scream as shadowy runes crawled over his skin. He fell silent with a brilliant flash of violet light. A ghostly spectre had now joined the others circling overhead. The last D-man fled before she could change her mind.

Ludwig was frozen where he stood, never before had he witnessed such control over shadow magic. Even then, he had never thought to contort such power with aspects of light. He jumped as she looked him over with a curious smirk "Been a while since a fading soul came through here." She raised a talon "Don't bother speaking, your voice has no sound here." She tittered beneath her breath "Let me guess, you've been playing with shadow magic? Completely unaware of what is expected of the caster in the process? Listen kid, dark magic requires sacrifice and unbending will. It's not like elemental spells where everything falls into place nicely. No, dark magic answers back, it demands respect, so you must learn to dominate it. Make it your slave."

Ludwig tried to back away only to find the Onyx Witch circling him like a bird of prey. A cruel smile crossed her lips as she placed her hands on her hips. Her long spiked tail swishing rhythmically. "Then again, you probably don't know the truth about magic yet. It's not something to be categorised neatly, it's wild and unbridled, a mere extension of yourself, your emotions, your will." She laughed again "Then again, you probably want to know why I can see you? Well, I may have died long ago but I an exception to the laws of the Underwhere. I am one with the darkness which allows me to have… certain gifts, beyond the control of Queen Jaydes."

"Come child, your time here is short." She snatched his arm, dragging him deeper into the crystal caverns.

He tried to dig his heels in and stop her but she was too strong. The further their descent, the loser the laws of gravity became. Even now various gems and orbs of liquid darkness wafted in the air. At the end of the trail was an ancient structure moored by stone and onyx. A large disc carved with arcane runes was circled by five pillars. She remarked casually "This is the well of souls, a cross section of lay lines between this world and the land of the living. You should thank Diabella when you see her next, she's the one who told me of this place."

Being robbed of his voice was torture right now. More and more questions were tumbling to forefront of his mind. What was more disturbing was how she kept looking at him with that sly smirk, like she was enjoying it. Upon the witch's approach, the magic within the stone reacted. The disc began to glow red then fade to purple and black as a portal opened. She forced him to look into it, holding him roughly over the edge by his wrist.

Ludwig looked down to see the darkness part and reveal his lifeless body. It was in the centre of a similar runic chart with five mages positioned at the points of a star. Among them were Magnifico and Gallileo, two Boos he did not recognise, and finally King Boo himself. Wide eyed, he looked back at the Onyx Witch. A gentle expression on her face as she smiled to him "And that's your cue to leave, I suggest you take it as there's no guarantee when it'll return." She looked down to him with a strange kindness in her eyes "Don't worry Ludwig, you're going to be fine. It was good to see you again." She released his wrist from her claws.

Ludwig then found himself tumbling through the vortex as the strange woman did nothing but calmly stare back at him. His vision of her fading as the sea of magic engulfed him.


	18. A rude awakening

Iggy and Lemmy remained unnoticed by the Boos that drifted through the hallway. They both sat outside the room Ludwig was locked in. Occasionally they saw a vivid swirl of shadows seep from the cracks in the door. Since arriving here, they were practically ignored by Figaro as he disappeared into the manor. However the Boos did not appear to taunt them as they would with other intruders. For the most part they were left to their own devices, almost like they were the unseen ghosts. No one had even so much as acknowledged them and it was not until they had explored the manor that they found where Ludwig had been taken. Only to have the door promptly slammed in their faces.

Diabella came around the corner to find them propped up against the wall. She remained silent and hoped to pass by unnoticed, her patience was non-existent by now.

"It's you! You're that lady with all those inventions!" Iggy scrambled to his feet, bowling Lemmy over in the process "I'm Iggy, I want to know if you maybe run a tutoring service or offer night classes or something. I'm an aspiring scientist myse-" He yelped as Diabella ripped out a lock of his green hair. "What was that for!?"

"Now you," Diabella tore a piece out of Lemmy's slim ponytail "Thanks for that."

"Hey! Wait just a minute!" Iggy's protests fell on deaf ears, Diabella entered the chamber where Ludwig was being held and slammed the door shut behind her.

Lemmy jested "Looks like we're back to playing the waiting game."

"I hate the waiting game." Iggy frowned back as they both sat up against the wall, completely lost as the hours crawled by. Eventually they both fell asleep, not even noticing when the door unlocked once again.

* * *

Murals of haunting violet swirled with vivid shades of blue greeted his sight. The paint strokes were quick, twisting into the vague forms of shadowy monstrosities. For a second, Ludwig thought he was still looking at the cavernous ceiling of the Underwhere. He tried to shift his body first, his joints felt stiff and ached as he forced himself upright. His shoulder was restrained by the bandages around his wound. It took every fibre of willpower not to lie back down again. His innards were tender from sensations of sharp pain like he had swallowed broken glass. Regret instantly flooded his mind when the wave of nausea struck like a kick to the stomach. He brought up a hand to his mouth, warm bile and blood regurgitated over the covers of the king sized bed he was dwarfed by.

Feeling repulsed he shoved the covers aside, a sour and bitter taste lingered in his mouth, he crawled over to the edge of the mattress slowly. Finally swinging his legs around to stand on the crooked floorboards, he found he was too weak to support his frame as he fell to the ground in a heap. Breathing heavily and still feeling like the room was spinning, he endeavoured to at least clamber to his knees. The room was massive, accommodating a bed, a study and a lounge around a roaring fireplace. The furniture was dark and macabre, making him think he was in a witch's lair by the piles of tomes and reagents trapped in their bottles upon the cluttered shelves. A cemetery surrounded by dark forests was the only view from the wide windows framed by purple curtains. He then noticed he was not alone in that room. Lounging on an armchair by the fire was Diabella, drinking from her hipflask as always.

From hearing his attempt at wakening, Diabella decided to intervene. She jumped down from the armrest she was perched on, grabbing a small cauldron that was conveniently the size of a bucket. Ludwig did not recoil from her presence, he glared at her with a disdain she was very familiar with. Before he could object, she pressed the cauldron into his hands then forced her flask to his lips. He swallowed a mouthful before he lurched backwards. It burned his throat and sent his chest into convulsions just to swallow it. When the coughing fit passed, he winced as his innards churned painfully. Diabella went to the window to observe the view while he vomited into the cauldron. He had never felt so humiliated in his life, no one had ever seen him injured or sick, he never allowed them to. Usually he would muster all his strength to look perfectly fine only to collapse once he was in the secure privacy of his chambers.

The sharp sensations in his body had oddly vanished, although now he felt drained and weaker than before. He trembled a little as an unnatural cold sweat took over. He did not have the energy to object when Diabella took the cauldron from his hands to replace it with a large pillow that was warming by the fireplace. Ludwig found himself hugging it tightly, pressing the soft, warm fabric into his chest and belly. It soothed the lingering aches and allowed him to relax a little. Lazily resting his head on the cushion as he curled around it, then immediately felt mortified when Diabella took a seat nearby. Leaning up against the wall to resume her drinking without a word of explanation.

Ludwig cleared his throat, weakly demanding "What was that vile concoction you forced down my throat?"

"Just my usual drink, I distil it myself."

He growled under his breath, shaking his head in the process while making a gagging sound. He then ordered in "Get out, I don't want you in here."

"And I want to frolic in a sea of fortified whiskey, but it wasn't mean to be because I had to save you."

He continued to protest "I am not some feeble hatchling, you did not need to interfere, you insane drunken hag. I was in total control of that situation."

"I beg to differ, besides I KO'd one of those golems in one hit so don't get all superior with me, bucktooth. I bet you didn't even know what you were fighting." Diabella remarked coldly, she took another swig of her bottle and smirked "Your game was over for forty three minutes before you got a continue. You have shown that you are a most magnificently glorious breed of idiot by going all lone wolf like that. I told you, you're not physically able to sustain a Giga transformation while you're still growing. Your body was burning itself up to keep you alive."

He was confused by what she had noticed "That's all you are mad at me for?"

"Oh, and next time you might want to be careful about who or what you trust. Your mind was being controlled by subtle suggestions so that you'd be as malleable as putty. Even with such a lack of mental fortitude, you still cast shadow magic? I don't know whether to be impressed by your audacity or laugh at your pathetic incompetence."

"I am not pathetic or incompetent, you sociopathic trollop. You saw what I did back there. I unleashed the power to destroy everything that stood in my way… if that infuriating sentient iceberg had not interfered there would be nothing remaining of the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Yes, I'm sure there wouldn't be but were you going to destroy it because you wanted to or because the voices in your head told you to?" She tittered at his bewildered expression "I saw you used shadow magic as a catalyst for that transformation. Sure it's impressive to the unenlightened, but that frost golem was way out of your league. Figaro, Fandango. Magnifico and I had to lend you a hand." Diabella laughed smugly "Besides, if you were really equal you wouldn't succumb to mind control so easily."

"Mind control!?" Ludwig hugged the pillow tighter as another fit of pain writhed through him "What do you mean by mind control? I was in control the whole time."

"No, you weren't. As in someone very competent with magic, read your dreams, worked through your brain and devised the best way for you to follow their wishes without you even knowing it. When you picked up that diamond, it not only boosted your powers, but theirs too… which only begs the question as to how they knew where that diamond was." She shook her head at her own comment, dismissing it by continuing "Then when you created a link to the Underwhere, that just added a whole lot of other entities vying for control of you." Diabella shrugged innocently as Ludwig fell silent and looked away from her "I have my theories as to who it was that triggered all this, but I need to confirm my sources… so why didn't you speak up about having a family?"

His anger finally subsided as he grew too tired to argue properly. He sighed miserably "I don't even know if we are even related, everything I grew up with was just a lie… all of it… I was never meant to be the heir to the throne."

"Maybe I can help with the confirmation of your family part, invading a kingdom will have to wait." His interest piqued but he was still wary, she elaborated "Given the sighting of multiple Dragon Koopas, I decided to take some samples, hair, blood, scales, whatever I could get my hands on. I could run a genetic profile of each individual, it'll prove whether or not you're actually related." Diabella stood up, grabbing the cauldron of vomit as she headed to the door "Bathroom is down the hall to the right, second door on the left. I'll ask some maids to tidy this room up."

Ludwig shakily stood, still hanging onto the pillow "Where am I anyway? And why are you… well… being so helpful? It's hardly in your nature."

"King Boo's manor, it's fine if you want to crash here until you're feeling better. As for helping, well, I didn't expect her to drag you into her delusional rivalry with me, but I still need to work out the motives and sequence of events that led to that mess in the Mushroom Kingdom." Diabella looked back at Ludwig. There was an unreadable expression on his face, like he had a question on the tip of his tongue but could not think of how to phrase it. "Spit it out."

"It's just, most people tend to over exaggerate and panic whenever they see any slight occurrence of shadow magic." He could still recall the day when Kamek and Kammy went ballistic at him.

He was still a hatchling when he first conjured a bolt of shadowy magic and launched it at the wall of his bedroom. The flashes of violet, red and black were actually quite beautiful to behold. Yet not everyone agreed with his opinion. Kamek and Kammy appeared concerned that he would turn out like _her_, although he could never surmise who they meant by that. For the following years Ludwig had little freedom in developing his magic. Constantly surveyed by Magikoopas to make sure he only learnt respectable and safe spells, the surveillance backed off as he aged. However he had not been able to bring himself to even consider weaving such magic until he finally left the Dark Lands.

Diabella's voice brought him back to reality as she prompted bluntly "And?"

"Well, it sounds as though I'm still welcome in Rhapsody? Unless I'm reading you wrong, then again I can never tell with you."

"How many times do I need to say it? I don't OWN or RULE Rhapsody in any way, shape or form. I just hang out in my lab, I can't help it that over time Rhapsody has developed nearby like a tumour. But it's more a symbiotic relation now, after all it's a lot easier to scavenge parts and get food." Diabella laughed at the very idea "So as long as you remember the wise saying 'don't poop where you eat' then I don't see the issue with you using shadow magic." She then gestured to a nearby table where Ludwig's sceptre lied. The metal fitting that held the diamond had been pried open, the gem itself was missing. "Gallileo found that, the diamond was already gone." Diabella mentioned as she exited the room.

For a moment Ludwig remained where he stood, still hugging the pillow. The vivid memories of his brief stroll through the Underwhere were still fresh in mind. He then shook his head, knocking some sense into himself. The pillow was cast aside and he stood up with perfect posture. Pausing to evaluate the chances of falling again, his legs were tired but not so exhausted they could not support him. He left the room to be greeted by a long, grand corridor lined with chandeliers and portraits of various eras. Many other ebony doors studded the walls, he looked around to get his bearings. Ludwig was surprised to see Iggy and Lemmy asleep beside the door of his temporary quarters. Iggy was propped up against the wall, head lulled back and snoring while occasionally coughing up a flame as he twitched. Lemmy was sleeping like a dog, half splayed on Iggy's lap and the floor, his little legs running as a smile grew on his face. Not really in the mood to speak with either of them, Ludwig quietly tiptoed down the hallway towards the bathroom.


	19. Musings of a Koopa

By the time Ludwig returned to the chamber he found everything in order and the bed was freshly made. His hair was still a damp mess as he wandered over to the armchair. Surprisingly it was quite large, almost as big as Bowser's throne. He frowned, thinking back to the times he used to sit on that throne as a hatchling when no one was around. That was back when he believed he was a legitimate child of the Koopa King. This comparison only brought further questions to mind. Taking note of the finer details, he realised every piece of furniture in the room had been reinforced to support the weight and frame of someone big. Even the fabric felt stiff and firm compared to the beds of less resilient species, it did not even tear against the spikes of his shell.

Rapping his claws on the armrest, Ludwig did not realise that a Boo had materialised before him. The flickering glow of the fireplace cast a hellish light upon the ghost. It made him flinch as he finally saw her. "Damn it, why is it so easy for people to sneak up on me!?"

She curtsied, a maid's apron was tied around her. She deftly placed a glass and decanter of water on the table near him "Don't feel bad, we Boos are masters of sneaking. I just came to see if you wanted something from the kitchen. It's nearly closing time for the chefs. We're nocturnal around here."

"Right, yes," He leaned back in the chair, relaxing once more but remembering the culinary skills of the Boos "I'm not really in a hedonistic or gluttonous mood this evening."

"So you want something light then… How about fish? Marinated in herbs, grilled and served with steam vegetables done in a light vinaigrette?"

He shook his head "No, it would be a wasted effort. I'd probably throw up again."

She smiled gently "That's fine, you'll probably feel better after you get some sleep. Just remember to keep hydrated."

The maid vanished in a cloud of vapour leaving him to listen to the crackling fire. For a moment he closed his eyes to calm his breathing further. His body was still complaining with dull aches all over. Realising he was unimaginably parched, he snatched the decanter and drank the cool water in a few gulps. Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, for a moment he questioned why his spiked cuffs were the only part of his clothes to survive the transformation. He placed the decanter on the table and sat back in the chair, briefly closing his eyes. In his state of meditation, a shadow stalked along the top of the chair. Ludwig was crudely awakened as Lemmy dropped from above to land on his chest.

"Ludwig! You're not dead!" Lemmy cheered, hugging him tightly as best he could. He was failing to get his short arms around Ludwig.

Ludwig grunted back "Get off me, idiot."

"But I'm hugging you!"

"And I told you to get off." He swatted Lemmy away, sending the smaller Koopaling teetering over the edge of the chair.

Like an energetic flea, Lemmy bounced back up to sit on the armrest. His whole head titled, hands on his hips as he chastised "You never thought to send a postcard? In all the time you were gone, nothing, zilch, naught, zero… why?"

"I did not see it as necessary, we're not related in any way."

"So? Aren't we still friends?" Lemmy pouted, folding his arms over his chest "We all grew up together in same castle, we've known each other since we were hatchlings… well, you've known us all since we were all hatchlings, we couldn't have known you as a hatchling unless we got a time machine or something. How can you just throw that away so easily?"

Ludwig coldly retorted "Bowser threw us away easily enough."

"But you're not Bowser, you're Ludwig!"

He rolled his eyes and sarcastically added "An astute observation indeed."

"What I meant is that you don't need to be like him, he's a jerk! And you're acting like one too." For a rare moment, Lemmy stopped smiling, his eyes moved as one instead of moving about independently. "You could've at least told us where you were going... why'd you do it?"

Ludwig's brow furrowed "I had enough of being in that castle and around everyone, the most logical thing to do was disappear. Now shut up about false sentiments, you technicolour cretin. The castle still worked fine without me."

"You're the one being an idiot," Lemmy then growled "I found that poison mushroom in that fake brick in the wall." Ludwig's eyes widened, Lemmy continued smugly "You know, that wall near your bed, back at the castle. I saw the teeth marks on it, but oddly enough, no bites, and before you get all huffy about it, I kept this a secret from the others." He tilted his head with a cruel smile "Now why would you have that to begin with?"

Silence accompanied the staring contest of epic proportions. The younger Koopaling was demanding a truthful answer. Ludwig knew he had to provide one eventually, it had been that way since they were hatchlings. For all his clownish antics, Lemmy was one of the only people that could get him to speak freely. Ludwig was also the only one who knew that Lemmy played the fool so he was free to do as he pleased with little scrutiny. So to see Lemmy focus on something was indeed a rare and terrifying moment.

Finally he acknowledged defeat, Ludwig was ashamed to admit "I could not do it."

Lemmy's expression softened, his eyes returning to their cross eyed state "Why did you want to do it in the first place?"

"I was just so tired of everything, the whole family debacle, the castle in general, oh, let's not forget Bowser's idiotic schemes to kidnap that worthless princess over and over again. Why can't we just raze that pathetic kingdom to the ground!? It is an utter miracle it was built beneath the divinity of the Star Road otherwise it would have perished long ago! The truth that I was denied my claim for the throne ahead of an imbecile that will only lead the kingdom to ruin just as Bowser is doing." He gritted his teeth, clenching his hands into fists as he head began to throb. He was determined not to cry, he would not show such weakness. "I just wanted it all to stop and I no longer cared how I was to achieve that… when my first plan failed, I decided to leave instead."

"Ludwig… why didn't you say anythi-"

His words dripped venom "Shut. Up."

Lemmy rolled his eyes, his next words were a statement rather than a question "Let me guess, we're done talking now." He snorted to himself "Typical."

* * *

The grand hall of Bowser's Castle was in a frantic panic. By then the airships and scattered troops had meandered their ways back to the Dark Lands. Now they faced the wrath of their king, still fuming from the failure of his well-tuned plan. Kamek shrank before Bowser as the massive Koopa sat in his throne, smoke rising from his nostrils and threatening to erupt with flame any moment now. Out of rage, he tore the arm rests of his throne cleanly off, throwing it on the other side of the chamber and narrowly missing a Goomba. He snarled "Why does she have Ludwig under her control!? This was clearly some crazy scheme to annoy me!"

Kamek adjusted his spectacles "Not just Ludwig, your surliness. I fear other former members of this kingdom now work alongside her."

"Who else defected!?"

"I fought with Karuka on your airship, but now she goes by Magnifico." The Magikoopas in broke out with murmurs, Kamek turned to his audience "What's worse, she's disregarded the robes of our sacred order and grown her hair out! She's even dyed it blue!" The Magikoopas howled with outrage and anger from this announcement.

"Yeah, well we saw Captain Blitz in the fray! Except he was dressed all weird and had head phones on." A Hammer Bro piped up "He's not even throwing normal hammers, he was wielding a giant sledgehammer, I tell you, he's more brutal now!"

His cohort added "We saw him scale that giant like it was nothing, he even cracked its armour with one swing!"

Bowser screamed indignantly "Why did no one think to tell me about all this!?"

Kamek dared to reply "But, your grouchiness, we did… perhaps you misheard?"

"Nope, you idiot minions didn't think to tell me! Now spill the details or else you're gonna be rostered onto laboratory assistance with Iggy!"

"Please sire! Anything but that!" A random paratroopa cried "I hate that octo-chicken he made! It spat a dart at me last time!"

"Octo-what!? Ugh, forget it! That's another problem all together!" Bowser suggested cruelly "I dunno, maybe you could help Lemmy with his bomb making?"

A koopa troopa wailed "No! I like having all my scales the same colour!"

"Perhaps some time with Roy and Morton in the training grounds might toughen you up too?"

"I enjoy having my limbs attached to me, thankyou." A Hammer Bro timidly sobbed.

"I think Wendy wants some girl time, whatever that is, so a shopping trip might be in order?"

A group of Goombas bawled "We'll die under the weight of her bags! No one could possibly carry the amount of things that girl buys in one trip to the mall!"

The room of various minions voiced their complaints loudly, all scampering to frantically explain the situation before Bowser could enforce the punishments. The noise was unbearable and indecipherable as they vied for their king's attention. Bowser raised a talon, ushering in silence, then gestured Kamek to speak once more.

The Magikoopa answered "Karuka was a prodigy of our order, she disappeared one stormy night without a trace, but not before she burned our old quarters and training towers to the ground." He shivered "I can still recall the way she danced around the flames… she was so giddy."

The main Hammer Bro added "Captain Blitz was supposedly KIA when you sent his squad to scout the lands beyond the Thwomp Ruins."

Bowser frowned "Wait, why haven't we conquered the lands beyond the Thwomp Ruins yet?"

Kamek sighed "Navigation difficulties, you can't fly over the area unless you want your airship destroyed by a large blue laser and trying to navigate the Thwomp Ruins is… practically suicide."

"Well, WORK THEM OUT! That masked psycho and the talking raindrop are obviously from there! I want that information YESTERDAY!"

A random minion moaned "Oh crap, we need to build a time machine too!"

"NO YOU MORON! I mean, get it done and get it done NOW! I want to know everything!" Bowser leapt back to sit in his throne with a mighty crash. A talon went to his brow, feeling ridiculous by the lack of hair which made his face feel lopsided. "And get Iggy in here, maybe he's got some hair replacement stuff to use. We also should probably talk about that octo-chicken thing."

"Uh… sire, about that…" Kamek whispered the news to Bowser.

Wendy jumped at the sound of outrage that carried through the corridor. She had already heard enough of his super, secret meeting and wanted to get back to the Koopalings' wing.

* * *

"Here." Morton growled as he placed the ice pack on Larry's swollen lip. The smaller Koopaling was trying his best to fight back the tears.

Roy was perched on the couch, next to him with rubbing alcohol and bandages in hand. He informed condescendingly as he continued to clean and bandage Larry's wounded arm. "Well, I had to punch you so you'd stop squirming every time I try to disinfect your cuts. See?"

Larry frowned, mumbling out of the corner of his mouth "You're still an ass."

"No, I'm the best doctor ever."

Morton sat on the giant, heavily reinforced bean bag, picking up his controller and resuming his game. A state of the art entertainment system occupied over a third of the common area. The grand chamber permanently looked as if a bomb had hit it. All surfaces cluttered by the various hobbies and interests of each Koopaling. Recently though, there had been more space since they tossed Ludwig's belongings into his old room from the door way. None of them even dared enter, the vivid memories of Ludwig's rage when they intruded reflexively forbade them. His smashed grand piano was still in there, Bowser Jr's morning star buried in its wreck. None of them had the heart to actually go in there and drag the debris out.

The doors of their bedrooms were colour coded. Reluctantly Roy accepted to have purple as Wendy was adamant about having pink. Each either leading up into top floor or bellow into basement. Oddly Morton was getting worried about Iggy and Lemmy. Neither of them had returned from the Mushroom Kingdom yet. Even after checking their chambers revealed no presence of them. A small part of him hoped they were just running late and not kidnapped or something like that. He nervously laughed to himself, of course no one would ever kidnap them. Everyone knows, it's the Koopas who kidnap. It would go against the natural order to defy that.

The double doors leading to the rest of the castle burst open as Wendy stormed in. She promptly slammed the doors behind her making the others jump. She turned and announced "We got a problem, Iggy and Lemmy are gone too."

Larry pouted "I am not feeding that damn octo-chicken in Iggy's lab."

"You are going to feed it! None of us can stand it either!" Roy raised a fist making Larry recoil beneath his gaze.

Morton suggested "Why don't we just squish it? We could tell Iggy it was an accident?"

"Hey stupids, we're getting off track." Wendy tapped her foot impatiently "Bowser is looking to gather intel on that lady Ludwig's working with."

"That makes sense, right?" Roy looked to Larry and Morton who nodded back.

"Yeah, but you know how he investigates anything, yeah?" The trio frowned and went wide eyed, Wendy raised a finger "See, we need to get to her first." She purposely neglected to mention the diamond to Larry and Morton, fearing the younger Koopalings would do something foolish with this information.

Roy shook his head "I don't think we'll be able to sneak out with castle on high alert."

Larry smiled as an idea struck him "What if we convince Bowser to let us go on a scouting mission?"

Morton grinned "That'd work, but we really need to sell it to him so we can disappear for while. You know, so we can hang out at the Electrodrome for a while too."

"Yeah, I know, we totally need a holiday."

"If we were still his kids, I could wrap him around my little finger by screaming 'Daddykins'. No, we have to remind him how crucial it is to find Ludwig."

Roy exasperated "Why that blue haired twat?"

"Because he can do a Giga transformation, that's why." Wendy smirked as a plan formed in mind "I think I know how to convince him to let us go."


	20. Reflections of the Undead

The crescent moon hung over the darkened valley like a winking eye. No one really knew who built the twisted manors that littered this area. Nor did anyone know how an entire city was reduced to cursed ruins overnight. This valley was the domain of King Boo and home to all things haunting and ghastly. Oddly though, to Diabella this place felt like a home. The yards and gardens may have been adorned by rows of tombstones and grand mausoleums rather than decorative statues. The trees were twisted, like they were frozen while screaming with terror. The air was thick with ectoplasmic vapours that coated all in a haze. Yet, she felt no fear in this place at all.

Even now she was lying on the lazily sloped roof of King Boo's grandest manor. Stretched out over the umber and black shingles with no fear of the likely chance that a wrong move would result in a plummeting death. She watched the clouds dance across the stars, playfully hiding and revealing them. A bottle of whiskey in hand, that she swirled in tune to the movements of the sky above. Night always lingered here a little longer, reluctant to finally drag off to allow dawn to break. According to the clocks through the manor it was well past seven in the morning and the night would remain for a few more hours at least.

"Do I dare ask what the hell happened?" King Boo announced as he materialised from the ether. His blood red eyes were permanently cast in shadows. His alabaster form glowed with an other worldly shine. A gold crown studded by a massive ruby squatted atop his massive form. No one truly knows who the ghostly monarch was in life. Yet history always noted his existence, lurking in the shadows and observing the rise and fall of empires.

Diabella laughed under her breath "I'm sure if you scout around the Mushroom Kingdom you'll find out. Why? Do the circumstances bother you?"

"Not at all, my home is yours. Come on, your old room is still the same as it was when you left." He raised a stubby arm with a knowing smirk "But can you at least regale me with the tale of how one of Bowser's elite minions and former hellspawn wound up in your company?"

"Seems a fair trade," Diabella swirled the whiskey in its bottle "About a year ago, I found him stumbling in the outer reaches of the mires. Usual procedure followed where I steal them and lock them in the catacombs, but instead of feeding him to Bismillah I decided to keep him alive."

"Why the change of heart? You're usually willing to feed anyone to your beloved insects."

"I tested some of his blood and it revealed to have evoglobins in it, the same evoglobins that were recorded in that unmarked autopsy journal I found in the archives of Sarasaland. In my ignorance, I thought briefly I had solved the mystery of the unknown creature in that report and assumed it was a new species altogether. I was so wrong…"

"On the positive side, at least you've finished deciphering that old book. So what did you discover instead?"

"That he was just the adolescent form of a Dragon Koopa and don't look at me like that!" Diabella swatted at him before he could erupt in laughter "For decades we were led to believe they sprang fully formed from the bowels of the Underwhere. I had no idea they had any period of growth."

"I will admit, that while I do respect your acquisition of modern knowledge through the ways of science, but I'm surprised you still cling to such outdated ideas until proven otherwise. It simultaneously makes you the smartest and the dumbest person I've ever met." King Boo snickered a little, trying to hide the smile appearing on his face before Diabella's scowl manifested into a more vicious reply. He prompted quickly "So what happened then?"

"No, still went ahead with running various experiments just to see what physical parameters are impacted by evoglobin. When I was finished with all my testing, I had every intention to feed him to Bismillah… but when I got to the dungeon I changed my mind and just let him go." Diabella took another swig from her bottle, she sighed "A few months later, he's hanging out with Figaro in Rhapsody and so here we are now."

"Well you could've at least mentioned it in a letter or something, seems like something major to keep hidden from me." If he had a foot to stamp with irritation he would have. Diabella gestured to him with a wave of the hand to continue. He huffed "I mean, why didn't you tell me you knew Lucia's kid?"

"Lucia's… kid…? Wait, what!?" Diabella fell silent, she sat up abruptly and glared at him.

"Don't play dumb, Ludwig is clearly her son! I recognise that buck tooth anywhere! Even his mouth and snout looks like hers! But the flamboyant hair, well, that totally screams Amadeus." King Boo cackled wickedly "Don't tell me you didn't connect the dots."

"I wasn't even aware Lucia had a kid… before she crossed over, she never mentioned laying an egg."

"Well, I guess the pregnancy wasn't part of her plan at all. She was aspiring to become a true shadow sorceress at that point. That means severing all ties with your old life and renouncing your corporeal form. But you really didn't make the connections, given your recent research project I just figured-"

"Well you figured wrong! Besides, back in my day, we just killed anything reptilian and never asked any questions. If some of those people could see the world now, they would lose their tiny little minds."

"Then again, those were crazier days and to think it all started when the Koopa Empire was locked in a power struggle with the Arcane Crusades."

Diabella added "I think even the Shadow Queen went on a rampage back then before she was sealed away behind that wretched door." She scratched her head "Wow… how long has it been?"

"I stopped paying attention after we crossed the thousand year mark," King Boo waved a hand dismissively "The various Prognosticus texts were in circulation between the dark and light shaman tribes."

"The Iron King, Smithy, wanted a piece of the action too and invaded with his armies of weapons. But he was obliterated by the Koopa Empire, reduced to the form of a primitive toy in the process. I wonder if he ever came back since then?"

"Come to think of it, King Grambi was nearly defeated in the Overthere by that rogue nimbi, Bonechill and his army of Skellobits. He only kept the throne thanks to Queen Jaydes." King Boo let out a reluctant sigh "Then the Mushroom Kingdom had a fit and summoned the power of the Star Road to bring peace and harmony to the world. It was a much more… exciting and savage era where chaos thrived." Diabella nodded in agreement, King Boo smiled back to her.

Diabella gritted her teeth as she paused for a moment. She fumed at her own stupidity while King Boo smugly laughed at her. She shook her head finally uttering "How did I not make the connections on any level?"

"You were probably too caught up in yourself to notice, as usual."

She ran a gloved hand through her hair "So what happened to Lucia anyway? I thought mages who reached that level were allowed to move between the Overthere, Underwhere and our world. Even if they are ethereal creatures."

"When she conjured the powers of the Shadow Queen… it didn't end well."

"Queen Jaydes?"

"Yep, she really hates people messing with dark magic and despises them when they try to summon her shadow. So, Lucia was well… she was damned to the Underwhere upon her transcendence and bound to the crystal caves deep below the earth there, and Amadeus Von Koopa, her pantomime lover, died in the ritual."

Diabella narrowed her eyes with knowing smirk "I take it she sacrificed him, didn't she?"

King Boo nodded with a cackle "She is a hard core dark magic user, you know how ruthless and sadistic she was."

"A living testament to that old saying 'the magic you wield is attuned to your true self'"

"I guess she didn't expect to wind up pregnant with Amadeus' kid though, but you know, she had to play the part of a loving wife for a while. I'm actually still amazed Ludwig was born healthy given the sickness Lucia had leading to her end… but Ludwig ended up with Bowser after she died. She was so insistent that he grows up among his family." King Boo stared blankly into the distance "Then again, death brings out the strangest sentiments in us."

"And this Bowser never thought to tell Ludwig any of this? What a jerk."

"Yes, he is a king jerk, if only the old Koopa Emperor Gowser could see the state of his kingdom and what his ancestors have done to it." King Boo mused aloud "But I get the feeling Bowser was and is still terrified of his big sister. I also doubt he was privy to the whole story." King Boo clapped his stubby arms as he recalled "And I know for a fact that he hates his younger brothers, Ziggy and Morton too. But he still has their kids living at his castle. It makes no sense."

"You know what, I'm not going to ask how you know all this because it's none of my damn business."

King Boo raised an eyebrow "And yet you enquire as to what happened to Lucia?"

"She was probably one of the only people I could tolerate, and to date there's only nine people on that list."

"So I take it you like Ludwig's company then?"

"Not so much like, it's just he… rekindles memories of who I was. It's a bit twisted really, I'm friends yet again with a creature I would've killed on sight many years ago… He also answers the question of whether I am responsible enough to own a dog because he kind of reminds me of a pug… that breathes fire… and is reptilian."

"My, my, my, are you getting soft in your old age or is that frozen clockwork contraption in your chest turning into a real heart?" King Boo waved his arms happily as he said sarcastically "Maybe one day you'll become a real person with real feelings!"

"Oh, shut up you alabaster idiot." Diabella raised her bottle, draining it before she remarked "Enough with the past, it's not like we can ever return to it so quit your wallowing."

"Always the most charming guest in all the land."

"Don't get snarky with me, you know me all too well." She threw it into the night sky to hear it shatter on the cobbled path bellow.

"And that is why I never bring out the crystal goblets when you're here. Will you be staying too?"

"I'll get going in an hour or so, I want to take advantage of your local firefly population."

Without warning, Diabella then slid down the side of the roof falling over the side of it to land on a balcony bellow. She stood perfectly again with almost feline grace, twisting her knee joint to emit a mechanical whirl. She disappeared inside as King Boo floated down to her level. Before he could ask, Diabella had already sprinted past him, jumping atop the railing to then leap into the night air. A large bug net in hand and satchel of wooden cages were strapped around her. She whistled while falling, summoning Beelzebub to descend and catch her before flying off again. King Boo looking in her direction to see she was soaring to the swarms of fireflies amidst the distant trees. He guessed some things never seemed to change.

* * *

Gallileo placed a bouquet of flowers on the decrepit grave while Magnifico stood by, her hat in hand as a sign of respect. Flowers was not entirely accurate, due to the perpetual cycle of night and minimal day most plants found here were twisted and rotting weeds. She remained deep within the forests to the west of King Boo's manor, beyond the orderly stones of the cemetery. Few headstones were scattered through the wild forests but were victims of the passage of time. Left untended by the various ghouls and ghosts that lived in the valley, there were no records of who was originally buried there.

The grave before her was smooth, the letters faded with time and yet it was located in the centre of a strange burial. Circles of stones were half buried in the ground, the shallow grave was empty and devoid of any bones. The earth had been violently churned long ago with drag marks leading away from the grave and into the woods. Dried stains of faded crimson marred the stones. A cloud of glowing fireflies circled in the air like embers among ash.

Diabella reached the clearing, bug net in hand in search of fireflies. She queried "What are you two doing out here? I thought you'd already left for Rhapsody."

"We decided to take a later ride of the Spectre Express." Magnifico smiled back "We figured it would be nice to pay our respect, it is your birthday after all."

"I don't think what happened on this day counts as a birthday." She bowed back to them, her voice temporarily sounding more regal as she added "But, thankyou, tis a heartfelt gesture that is greatly appreciated."

"No problem, you know we're here for you through thick and thin."

"As am I for each of you."

Gallileo nervously asked "Is Ludwig alright? Did we get the right soul back from the Underwhere?"

Diabella laughed "Yeah, that grumpy bastard is back in his body."

"Good," Gallileo smiled back "So where do we go from here? I still don't understand what exactly Shalazia is up to now."

"You know, I've never seen Shalazia travel to the lands beyond the Thwomp Ruins."

Magnifico theorised "Perhaps she did so to establish an allegiance? Paint us as a threat to compel others to join her cause… whatever that is."

Gallileo insisted "If that's the case we need to know what we're up against. I'll scout around the Mushroom Kingdom while you two work on what's going on in the Arcane Kingdom."

"Be sure to focus on any magic relating to the area Gallileo." Diabella grimly warned "If this Mushroom Kingdom has something of magical worth then Shalazia probably wants it."

"I still don't understand why this princess despises you so much? Have you done anything to her?"

Diabella shook her head and let out a weary sigh "No idea, your guess is as good as mine."

"I always thought it was just a static thing," Gallileo cackled "She's so uptight and stuffy that she doesn't seem to like any deviation from her routine."

"You think she fears change?"

"Definitely, she's got it written all over her and that stupid kingdom she lords over."

"Why must people refuse change anyway? Is it really such a bad thing?" Magnifico placed her hat atop her head "That same stubbornness is going to ruin the Koopa Kingdom… and it's disturbing that everyone there is thrilled about it."

"Then again, most people of this age have never seen change or the lengths people will go to in order achieve it." Gallileo glumly informed "It seems the history of the Age of Ire has been glossed over and forgotten, even rewritten in most archives so people can ignore it and pretend everything is peaceful and happy."

Diabella questioned "But I wonder how long that peace will last? I have seen far more disenfranchised souls these days than ever before… I think it won't be long until chaos manifests again."

Magnifico dismissed politely "But what form will it take this time? I doubt there would be a great war or crusade begun from this era."

Gallileo piped up "Regardless, I'll be here to watch it all and record everything so that it may never be forgotten again."

"Then I better bring my camera along too."

Diabella beamed "And I'll bring the grog so we can all watch the world burn together."

They laughed out loud from the jest, the happiness in their voices echoed through the forest. The gloomy surroundings twisted it into sounding more sinister.


	21. We're going on an adventure by choice

The blue light emanated from the television, casting shadows through the living room. The screen flickered with a marathon of shows as Toadette and Waluigi lounged on the couch. Neither of them dared to sit in Wario's favourite armchair, they could not stand the stench of it. Even now, he was in his room snoring his head off to recover from being poisoned. The room was a mess of unsorted treasure and garbage overflowing the bin in the corner. It had reached a point where it could sustain a piranha plant rather well and it did. The plant in question was happily snapping at the air and wavering about in its makeshift pot.

Toadette took a swig from the beer Waluigi offered her "So… wait, what's happening in this show?"

He sneered "You've just watched ten episodes of it."

"I know, I still don't get it."

"Alright, basically Countess Flora and Amber died at the same time, but Amber's soul returned to Flora's body. At the same time Flora's husband is planning to elope with her twin sister who is only doing it to get the estate. Amber's boyfriend is preparing a vendetta against the Count because his poor maintenance of the town resulted in her death. Oh, and Polterpup is a ghost detective trying to work out why souls are being returned at random."

Toadette scrunched her face up "Seriously? How did you make any sense of this? This soap opera is crazy."

"It's from Sarasaland, they know how to do a good drama."

"I don't know if it's good, it's like when Wario took over that Silver Zephyr show. It was like a car crash, I couldn't look away but I'm still intrigued."

"Well," Waluigi glanced around "I'm sure that Telmet thing is in the mess somewhere. You could always go into the TV and ask the characters what's going on?"

"Yeah, I'm not falling for that one. Who's to say you won't turn the TV off the moment I'm gone?"

He smirked innocently, feigning shock "Would I do something like that?"

Toadette erupted into wicked laughter from his query. At least he was honest enough to admit he was untrustworthy. With Wario and Waluigi, you knew what you were in for because you always trust them to do the more morally dubious thing. They were actually much easier to hang out with as Toadette rarely understood the actions of her fellow Toads.

Their peace was disturbed by frantic stomps charging down the stairs. Finally the cacophony ceased as Wario skidded through the doorway. His eyes were as big as saucers and he was wildly gesturing to a strange tome in his hand. The page was open to reveal an unusual crest of a lightning bolt striking a rune circle. He proclaimed "I knew I've seen that stupid symbol before!"

"Shouldn't you be… I dunno, resting or something?" Waluigi folded his arms over his chest "And keep it down, I'm watching my stories."

"Yeah, go lie down again. The doctor pulled that huge stinger out of your arm." Toadette gestured to the item in question that was now mounted proudly on the wall along with other abnormal animal remains.

"NO! No stories! This is real!" Wario slammed his fist on the television, cracking the screen to Waluigi's dismay. He brandished the journal in question, it was so ancient it looked like it would crumble to dust if you sneezed on it.

Toadette could not identify any of the symbols on its cover "What kind of crazy book is that?"

"What can I say? My ancestors were awesome with a rich history of looting and pillaging." Wario flicked through the pages "This is a record of my ancestor, Darius the Decapitator, who was a barbarian warlord. Now come on, do you see where I get my manly awesome-ness?"

While Toadette did her best to not vomit at the thought, Waluigi raised an eyebrow "How did you get the patience to sit down and translate an ancient text? Is it mostly pictures?"

Wario frowned to sarcastically remark "Ha, ha, very funny. Just like that time you introduced yourself to people as my imaginary friend."

Waluigi smirked "I thought it was hilarious."

"Getting back to the book," He punched Waluigi in the back of the head "I didn't, what kind of sucker do you take me for? Another one of my ancestors did the work for me. Anyway, I keep it safe to look for any rare treasures from ancient civilisations that might be floating around."

Waluigi rubbed the back of his head "As they do."

"Exactly, that they do." Wario smirked, showing the page with the lightning insignia "This is the mark of some noble from the Arcane Kingdom. Anyway, a guy like that would be raking in the moo-lah. I reckon that lady from the castle is none other than his descendent. Which means, she's probably got all the loot hidden away somewhere, just begging to be taken!" He paused as he flipped to another page "But, there's something weird in this journal too, at the back, written in invisible ink you need a black light to see." His brow furrowed "Something about beware the woman with hands of crystal, you cannot trust her." He shrugged and snapped the book shut "Probably a mistranslation."

Waluigi examined his own hands "Hands of crystal? How would you bend your fingers?"

"I know, it sounds ridiculous, but hey. Looks like we gotta go find her! Then she will give me all the treasure she keeps!"

Toadette beamed as she sat on the edge of her seat "So you guys are going on a treasure hunt? Preferably for a very long time?"

Wario was immediately suspicious "Yes? What of it short-stuff?"

She innocently offered "Well, I could always castle-sit for you."

"Not a chance in hell."

"Why not?" Toadette pouted, applying her best adorable puppy eyes.

"Get that cute glittery stuff off your face! I know what you're like."

"But I'm really good at it."

"You hosted a rave last time you did that!"

"As a welcome home party, remember, we exploded a bunch of glow sticks."

"That was fun, but no! You didn't stick around for the clean-up."

Waluigi interjected "Neither did you, I got stuck with it!"

"Well you shouldn't have been dancing so much! You would've seen everyone cheesing it!"

"Alright Wario, I didn't want to do this but you gave me no choice." Toadette walked over to the phone and started dialling a number.

Wario stomped over, ripping the phone out of the wall "What are you doing!?"

"Just giving your workers over in Diamond City a call, how long has it been since they were paid? Perhaps I should call the tax men too!"

"You wouldn't dare." Wario glared her down.

She growled right back at him "Try me."

* * *

"Right, we're here to find Syrup, her boat is still here so she can't be too far away." Wario laughed upon entering the main square of Rogueport.

Caravans of supplies were making their way down the main road towards the Mushroom Kingdom. The hotels were also booked out completely as wealthier displaced citizens demanded luxury to accompany their wait for the restoration of their homes. A few disgruntled Toads meandered through the markets, having been informed the rooms were all taken. Slowly, but surely, they gravitated towards the Pianta district of town, where the bars never closed and gambling was always available.

Waluigi frowned "I can't believe you were scared out of your own house by a pink mushroom girl."

"Nope, didn't happen. I came here of my own free will. So shut up, you stinking liar."

"You're the only one with BO around here, Wario."

They progressed to the dock to find the Sweet Stuff with no sign of Syrup or a guard to watch the ship. Wario and Waluigi smirked to each other knowingly. Sure, you got more treasure by plundering alone but at the end of the day, someone needs to look out for you. They both boarded the ship and waited in the cabin.

* * *

The stench of garlic made her eyes water. Syrup could not believe this. She had spent the day procuring supplies for her voyage only to find her ship commandeered by a pair of worthless landlubbers. It was tempting to just fire a cannon at her cabin door but that would result in damages she did not have time for. The sooner she set sail, the better. Instead she kicked the door down, startling Waluigi to fall from his chair.

Wario remained by a nearby chest "Thought you could skip town, aye?"

She eyed the room critically to see nothing had been stolen or even shifted aside from a bottle of rum and some glasses. Syrup stood toe to toe with Wario "What are you two landlubbers doing here?"

"Treasure!" Wario then noticed Waluigi in the background shrugging and rolling his eyes. "I mean, we need this boat to get to treasure."

Syrup growled "Oh really? And where could this treasure be?"

"The Arcane Kingdom, but there's rumours of it being dangerous by land or air. But nothing about sea, so if you can take us around the coast."

"I see." Syrup stroked her jawline "Fine."

"Oh no, we're not sharing it with yo-" Wario blinked "Wait, what? You agreed?"

"Yes."

He looked to Waluigi who only looked perplexed. Wario blurted out "Seriously?"

"Well, if you don't shut up about it, I'll take it back and fire you from my cannon."

"HA! None of your cannons are big enough to fit me!"

"Doesn't mean I couldn't fire your creepy friend into you and send you flying."

Waluigi remarked "How about you don't do that."

"Other than that, get to work swabbing the deck! If you're travelling with me, you gotta pull your weight." Syrup commanded before she left the cabin. At least she now had bait to lure the Giant Bloopers out, making her voyage to Rhapsody just that little bit safer. If she was lucky, she could easily acquire squid related products to sell off upon arrival.

Waluigi and Wario exchanged uneasy looks, they both knew Syrup was up to something. It was in her nature to never be clear about her intentions. Presently they could not complain having secured relatively safe passage through Blooper infested waters. On second thought, perhaps this was not the greatest plan they had ever crafted.

* * *

The warp pipe melodically chimed as it emerged from the earth amidst the ancient ruins. Mario was the first to emerge as he bounded to the grass. Looking around, he could see the far off ruins where the karting course was located. Presently they appeared to be on the fringe of the older ruins that led deep into the mountains. Now that he considered it, he had no idea who originally made this place or why they would choose Thwomps to build it. Beneath the afternoon sun, it looked more like a graveyard for those sentient stones. The moss grew over their corpses like a tumour. The trails of fabric fluttering from their columns appeared tattered and dappled the light.

He then noticed a strange flock of creatures wandering through the mountainous terrain with ease. They were covered in curly wool like a sheep but much larger. Although the elongated neck tipped off it was something unusual. "Weegee, what is that? Is it some kind of cow or sheep?"

"Huh?" Luigi noticed the creature in question "Oh, I think that's a llama."

"A llama?"

"Yes, a llama."

"Oh…" Mario nervously waved to one of the beasts that had noticed them "Hello llama?"

Peach cooed as she approached them with Daisy in tow "Aw, aren't they adorable!"

Luigi then asked the others "Why exactly are we here anyway? Aren't we supposed to be heading to the Arcane Kingdom?"

"Yes, we can pass through these mountains to reach the Arcane Kingdom. It's the only guaranteed passage."

"How so?"

"Air travel is out of the question and the ocean is too dangerous to cross. But Toadsworth informed me of this passage before we left." Peach opened the locket dangling from a gold chain around her neck "This compass is an old relic, apparently it guides you to the Arcane Kingdom."

Daisy raised an eyebrow, glancing at the strange pendant as it swirled with neon lights "Where exactly did this relic come from?"

"No idea, Toadsworth brought it to my attention." The compass pointed towards a maw of stone in the distance, Peach blindly trusted its discretion and headed onwards.

"Doesn't anyone else think that's a little weird?" Daisy remarked to no one in particular as they followed after her.

The light of day and the packs of llamas were left in the distance. The ominous opening in the side of the mountain howled with a gentle moan. Peach stopped momentarily to look at the compass, the relic glowed brightly, illuminating their path. The floor was partially cobbled but dirtied by piles of soil and sand that had flooded in with time. The walls were smooth yet blemished by cracks as the roots of plants dared to invade. The corridors were narrow yet reached to impossible heights into the darkness. The wind dropped to a dying whisper and beckoned them to come closer.

Peach felt an assertive hand rest on her shoulder, she looked down to see Mario smiling back at her. In that moment all fears of progressing onwards vanished. So long as he was here, she felt she could do anything. Together they ventured forth, the corridors widening out into a stone labyrinth of partially sunken temples. Although it was near impossible to even see the floor of the cavern.

Mario remarked as they walked onwards "Wow, looks like this place was some ancient sanctum!"

Peach said aloud "I wonder what it was used for and what civilisation lived here."

"How can you not be weirded out by this place? I'm getting really creepy vibes." Luigi shivered, his anxieties were building as his imagination toyed with the darkness. It looked like the perfect place for a nightmarish monster to lie in wait.

"I don't think there's anything to fear down here." Daisy added confidently "Looks like no one's been down here for centuries."

"I'm not so sure about that." Mario gestured them to catch up to him and Peach.

On a nearby pillar and on the floor were a series of claw marks in the wall. Some were scribbled out, like the owner of them was navigating their path by trial and error. The markings on the pillar were used as a point of reference to make sure they were not going in circles. They were also slightly masked by a thick layer of dust and sand.

Peach examined them carefully "These look pretty recent, well, compared to the rest of this place."

Luigi proclaimed "I knew there was something down here!"

Daisy corrected "No, it just means someone came down here recently."

"Well, hopefully they've moved on. The only thing I can think of that can scratch stone that easily would be either Bowser or…" Luigi stopped as a chill crawled down his spine.

"A Koopaling." Mario's brow furrowed "That means Bowser may already be on the move."

Daisy suggested "Or he was already on the move, long before we caught wind of all this."

"All the more reason to reach Princess Shalazia as soon as possible." Peach nodded to herself. She noticed how the marking that remained unscathed pointed in the same direction as the compass. They recomposed themselves before heading deeper into the sunken ruins.


	22. Stirring in the sanctum

Deep within the sanctum, away from the gaze of bystanders, collected a group of individuals. They sat on the sandy floor of the inner chamber with lanterns to illuminate the chamber. It was secluded and a well kept secret among them. A lethal labyrinth of shadows resided beyond the geometric frame of the doorway. Fatal drops around every turn, every broken stairwell and every false door. The halls moaned like an ungodly monster when the wind turned. Ghoulish fungi reared their ugly heads in the damper areas while turquoise mould grew along the natural rock that jarred between the ruins. Rather than provide comforting light, it only cast an eerie and foreboding haze in the air. Despite this danger, they still came to discuss matters. It was better than risk being discovered in the underbelly of the Arcane Kingdom.

Scaramouch's brow furrowed at the news "Really guys!? You attacked a mob of Shalazia's water troops."

A Koopa tilted its head "We didn't have a choice, we tried to protest passively but they still attacked us. It was self-defence! At least we didn't attack the frost knights or the haze ninjas."

She coldly remarked "If either of those cronies showed up, you wouldn't be here now."

"Honestly, we tried doing things the way you said, exploit of rules of the system to rebel." A Goomba sighed "Then they just made up another rule."

"Then we adapt to that one too," Scaramouch glanced at her comrades, disgruntled citizens of the Arcane Kingdom who like her, believed in an alternative way of governing cities. "Think about it, the mess of societal structures didn't happen overnight so it's not going to correct itself instantaneously."

"Then why do we stand idle?" A Cheep-cheep snapped "We must strike! Murder the aristocracy and the filthy monarchs they hide behind! They're rigged the system so we can't do anything with our lives."

A Bob-omb chimed in "Yeah, then we make people follow our ideas! Like making everything equal so we can live in a utopian play land."

The chamber came alive with overwhelming chatter. Scaramouch took control once more "I know we all strive to see a utopian play land… But by enforcing our ideas like that, would we really be any better than the oppressive monarchs we wish to dethrone?" The crowd fell silent, she nodded confidently "Exactly, my friends."

"I'm sorry, I lost my wits." The Cheep-cheep bowed her head "It's just, the more I think about it, the more I see all this as just a dream that will never happen."

"That is a fair point, we do live an era of idiocy where brute force, ignorance and repetitive madness is deemed a solution to the problem." Scaramouch admitted with a heavy heart "We are not going to see the end product of our ideas in our lifetime. But we can pass on our knowledge so that one day, that utopia can exist. The best we can do is get the ball rolling, the first step is to remove the outdated system of governance known as a monarchy."

"Wait, isn't it true that Rhapsody has already achieved this? It's a completely self-sustaining city?"

"No, it still trades with other places, usually quite dubious in nature and steals what it needs. There may be no caste system or discrimination based on appearance, but the majority are still driven by desires to amass profit, just like everywhere else."

"And yet, the people there… they're happy aren't they? They can read whatever they want without fear of execution. They're allowed to have opinions of their own and openly voice them."

"I can't truly say… it is definitely a step up from Rogueport as no crime lords have taken control of the districts. But it is still a far cry from true social equality, there is still an uneven distribution of power..." She rocked on her heels and glumly admitted "But I don't know how we're to change this. All I know is that, we should strive for improvement and not settle with a defective idea to control our lives."

"That's why we're here, so we can discuss the theory of what can be done. We're trained to not think like this and just blindly accept, so of course it's going to be hard." The same Koopa queried, he shuffled his notebooks to redirect the conversation "Alright, if society remains in a state of organic solidarity so that everyone can benefit from enlightened progress… how do we distribute power evenly?"

His Goomba friend suggested "The problem I see here is one of the way we draw meaning from the world around us and how we define such a term. We are just products of the culture we're born into."

"So if we shift the meanings of a culture, then maybe it is possible."

Fandango then appeared in the doorway ushering in a wave of silence. All eyes turned and waited with bated breath, the strange Shy Guy was regarded as a herald of warning. He announced "I heard something in the upper levels, maybe we need to cut this meeting short. I'll distract them while you all evacuate."

Scaramouch smiled gratefully, her dismal mood had swayed from the turn in discussion by her colleagues. The Arcane Kingdom was a place of social unrest and debauchery, although no one would openly admit it for fear of being executed. When guards kept arresting fellow scholars their group had relocated to the relative safety of this sanctum. The location of which was provided by Diabella while Fandango volunteered as the lookout. Now they had been given the warning, all they could do was put out their lanterns and wait in the darkness for a moment to escape.

* * *

The darkness suffocated them beneath the forgotten city. Luigi had never felt so isolated in all his life. Despite the fact that his brother and friends were around him, there was a fear perched on his shoulders like a bird of prey. There was something primordially wicked in the air, that sent shivers down his spine. He always assumed his journey through King Boo's manors would be the most terrifying events of his life. Now he was not so sure, were they really meant to be down here? It felt like they were trespassing and might anger some ancient beast from its slumber. He even lacked the courage to look beyond the platforms and walkways. There was something primordial lurking in the depths, something that should have been forgotten eras ago. Luigi took a few deep breaths, surely his mind was toying with him.

Nevertheless, Peach and Mario continued onwards with trust in the magic compass. The flickering beam of light guided them safely through the crumpled buildings. Both were a few steps ahead, relishing the jaunt through the city. If only he could stop feeling this fear. He felt a hand take his and Daisy's smiling face could be seen in the gentle glow of the bioluminescent moss. She pointed to the source of light "Isn't it beautiful? That with all these creepy ruins, that something like that can happen."

The pockmarked slate resembled the spine of a monster. Flecked upon its surface was a forest of mould glistening in the darkness with cerulean light. Luigi marvelled at the patchwork of blues "I guess so… that's really amazing."

"It sure is, buddy." Luigi and Daisy both screeched at the third voice. He tripped over his own feet when he saw the horned Shy Guy appear behind them. Its mask was articulated into a horrific smile. "I'm Fandango by the way, pleasure to meet you both."

"Luigi! Daisy!" Peach called from the distance, her heels clacked on the stone ground.

Fandango bounced backwards to avoid the stomp attack from Mario. He giggled maniacally at his opponent while his cloth covered hands reached to his mask.

Mario then saw the glimmer of a familiar emblem on the collar of Fandango's overcoat. Rage overcame him at the thought of what had transpired in the Mushroom Kingdom. With fury, he demanded "You work for the Lightning Queen!? How many cronies does she have!?"

"Work for? Puh-lease, we're equals my moustachioed idiot."

"So when I beat you, you'll give me answers! Like why are you terrorising Princess Shalazia!?"

Fandango confidently laughed in his face "Yeah, whatever, sport. Do good hero-types like you need to learn when not to intervene. For your own safety I would recommend forgetting about that princess, go home and have a tea party."

"Forget it! I'd never abandon someone in need of help."

"Wow, you're as thick as a stick in pig swill, aren't you?" Fandango tittered, madly circling around a nearby pillar like a hyperactive child "You're on our side of the world now so I don't think you're gonna like what you find here."

Mario's patience had worn down by then, he prepared to strike once again, ignoring Daisy's warning "Cover your eyes!"

Peach only just reached the area to witness the horror of what lied beyond a Shy Guy's mask. Mario had no idea what he was looking at. The hood was propped up by a tangle of tentacles and twitching limbs encased in exoskeleton. They slowly unfurled from their compressed arrangement behind the mask. There was no discernable face to even identify. A high pitched squeal cackled from an unknown mouth. Mario and Peach found themselves immobilised by the sound and sight of Fandango.

While his foes were incapacitated, Fandango ran ahead, snatching the compass from Peach's hands. He jested "It's funny how stupid you all are." Then stomped on the compass with his heavy boot and ground it into shards. He continued to laugh as he vanished into the ruins.

"Why'd he do that?" Luigi was flabbergasted as he pulled his cap away from his eyes. He then ran over to Mario and Peach to ensure they were alright. The momentary stun had worn off as they nervously looked over their shoulders.

"How did he freeze us like that?" Mario flexed his arms to check for injuries "It doesn't make any sense."

"Because you can't look at their faces for more than a split second without freezing up like that."

Daisy nervously informed "Shy Guys actually shy at all, it's just, they're living nightmares that have somehow reached the waking world… so they wear robes and masks to look presentable. Very few are actually willing to take them off."

Mario raised an eyebrow "How do you know that?"

"The Pionpi told me."

"You let the Pionpi stay in Sarasaland!?"

"They really like the Chai Kingdom and they're pretty nice once you get to know them."

Peach looked at the smashed remains of the compass "What are going to do now? We're completely at a loss."

In the background Luigi had found an old metal torch. He took the relic close to rock lined with moss, scraping pieces of the glowing lichen into the metal cage. It proved an effective way to light the path ahead. He smiled "Maybe there are more of those explorer markings nearby?"

Mario nodded "Good thinking, Weegee. Someone did make it through this place without that compass after all."

Peach clasped her hands over her chest "Still, I wish there were a safe way to pass these ruins. I have a feeling that wretched Shy Guy is waiting to ambush us again."

Much to their surprise, her wish came true as a ball of golden light appeared from the ether enveloping them and vanishing from the sinister ruins.

Fandango paused as he watched the golden star shoot through the darkness and ping around the corners. He sighed, tapping his boot on the ground with annoyance "Well that's just cheating, Ludwig made it through with no magic like that. Didn't even have a fancy compass…" He mused aloud, placed a covered hand to the chin of his mask "Still, better let Diabella know, she might be able to explain whatever that was."

"Fandango? What happened?" Scaramouch whispered as she climbed up onto the roof of the fallen temple. The flickering trail of stardust in the air, made her pout "And here I was, ready to take out my anger."

"You're preaching to the choir, my dear."

"Oh, you got a little tentacle hanging out of your cheek." She helped tuck it back under his hood. They both let out a long sigh before finally deciding to retreat from the dank, crumbling city beneath the mountains. The maze of tunnels from this place networked and weaved all throughout the world. Yet the methods employed for their construction was still a mystery that no one really wanted to solve.

* * *

A pink vanity mirror was angled to look around the corner, the reflection revealed that the coast was clear. Wendy smiled to herself, quickly checking her own reflection to make sure her bow was straight. Now was an opportune moment to pay Bowser a visit. Most of the kingdom were either attending to the medical ward, the airship workshop or were madly trawling for information about the Lightning Queen. Their king had finally retreated to his quarters as he had grown too frustrated by the situation. Kamek told him to have a time out before the vein in his head burst. Now an uneasy quiet unfamiliar to the halls of the castle had settled.

As Larry walked in tow of Wendy, he noticed the new decorative statues and portraits installed in the likeness of Bowser. He always thought it a little weird that there were no other relics of previous rulers. He suspected Bowser inherited this kingdom from a descendent, although there was no memorial of the previous ruler. After all, a castle this complex does not appear overnight especially in a land as inhospitable as the Dark Lands. They finally came to the gargantuan door framed with spikes and painted with decorative flames. Wendy looked to him and gave him an assuring nod. It did not make him feel less uneasy about the whole situation. Then again, Larry knew neither Roy nor Morton would be suitable for this task.

A knock at the door caught his attention. Bowser quickly shoved the old photo album back in its hiding place within the wall near his fireplace. Why he even felt like looking through that thing was beyond him. He had spent the past few decades trying to forget everything. The lower chamber of his wing was larger than any manor and loaded with creature comforts most people would never own in their lifetime. All of which were decorated with black, red, silver and gold. He walked back over to his gargantuan armchair to recline casually near the fireplace. Quickly switching on the widescreen television to dispel any ludicrous notions he might actually have been reading.

He shook his head at his foolishness, finally growling "What is it now!?" He heard the heavy door slowly shoved open and closed again, Wendy and Larry then appeared before him. "Whatever you two want me to buy you, the answer is no."

Wendy curtsied "Ah, but your surliness we would never ask such a thing from you."

Bowser cocked an eyebrow "You're kidding right? Coz if it was, then that was a lame joke."

"Actually, we've come to suggest a scheme. A plot to give us the upper hand in unknown territory."

Smoke rose from his nostrils, Bowser leant on one armrest gesturing them to continue with an unimpressed gaze.

"Why not send us to find Ludwig? He's been with them, if we remind him of his loyalty then we get access to what he knows."

"Details of where that bug lady came from," Larry felt a little nervous beneath the intimidating gaze of the audience "And you know, how Ludwig did that transformation thing? That sounds pretty important to know."

"Good point Larry," Wendy played along, looking up to Bowser with a playful smile "When was the last time you turned into a giant?"

Bowser pouted like a child "I can, it's just I don't want to. It's more fun to smash things face to face."

Larry bargained "Anyway, we could totally find him. Just let us have access to an airship and we'll have Ludwig back in no time."

"Then we make him tell me everything. Excellent plan! I like it." He raised a talon, much to Larry and Wendy's dread "But, you have to take Junior with you. It's his airship after all."

They both hid their frustration behind false smiles. Well, some plans do not always turn out as well as you hoped.


	23. Dreamy Day Nightmarish Night

The whirling light shimmered with golden celestial stars. In that moment they were overcome with a feeling of true weightlessness. The scenery passed as in a distortion of spectacular flashes of colour. The wild ride came to a sudden halt before Mario, Luigi, Peach and Daisy were gently lowered to the ground. The mountain range that housed the Thwomp Ruins was far to the north. To the south was encroaching mires and swamplands shrouded in mist and darkness. It almost squatted on the horizon like a lazy crocodile, waiting to snap at its prey. Their attention was directed behind them when they noticed the iridescent pearl road beneath their feet. The ivory trail led directed their gaze towards the spectacular kingdom.

High shimmering walls that gleamed with hues of blue like waterfall shielded the civilisation from the mires in the distance. Beyond the gold and sapphire gates was bustling town of beauty and wonder. There did not appear to be any sign of poverty on the streets as its citizens wandered the ivory buildings in a state of euphoria. Gold, sapphire and crystal embellishments framed the plain white stone that parted the beautifully clean canals of gleaming water. The canals themselves networked their ways through the city with elaborate curves and swirls.

A castle rose from its centre and was by far the most remarkable. The pearly walls and turrets looked rather ordinary. It was the curving crystals reaching to the cloud line that made it spectacular. The gleaming gems reflected shades of blue from the surrounding canals. Their form contorted to resemble the flow of water itself as it cascaded down the walls and splashed upwards like tumultuous waves.

The group was distracted at the sound of clinking metal. Two giant guards clad in plate armour, resembling the frost golem that had come to the Mushroom Kingdom's aid, had appeared by the golden gates. They both gestured to the castle with their swords.

"The Water Princess is waiting for you, welcome to the Arcane Kingdom." They loudly boomed, their voices wavering like they were immersed in the ocean. Smaller figures made of water and wreathed in gold and sapphire jewelry emerged from a nearby fountain. All were enthusiastically waving to them, beckoning them to follow.

The passing town was a utopia as happy citizens wandered about their day. Other watery servants tended to their needs so they had no reason to work. Glittering architectural spectacle followed every carefree watery performance of magical delight as figures danced amidst the canals. They entered the grand hall of the castle to see it mimicked the most opulent pool they had ever seen. Schools of rainbow fish swam beneath the floor. Golden orbs floated in elaborate patterns leading across the surface of the water. Standing upon the water was Shalazia in the flesh. Her alabaster skin complimented her piercing golden eyes. Her hair was dark blue at the roots to fade to lighter shades and finally turning white at the tips.

She tapped her gold and sapphire staff on the surface of the water. Blue stars circled around them all as she smiled innocently "Please, let me show you to your quarters, we can discuss more serious matters once you've freshened up."

Peach was the first to test the water, finding that it was solid beneath her shoes like a floor. She calmly strode out, her gown did not even get damp from trailing on the water. Politely curtsying to Shalazia, she said "Thankyou for you hospitality."

"You're very welcome, I am honoured to entertain the descendants of the heroes who brought the Star Road to power." Shalazia gently laughed at their perplexed faces "Don't worry, given the most recent encounter with the Lightning Queen, I think she is recovering. An excellent time to strategise."

Mario queried "Um, pardon me princess, but what do you mean by the Star Road?"

Luigi nodded thoughtfully "Yeah, that's always been there, right?"

"Not exactly, over a thousand years ago, the world of peace we know did not exist in the slightest. The road was obscured from sight due to the malevolence running rampant." Shalazia wistfully gazed downwards "The Era of Ire, a time when war, chaos and evil reigned. However, the Mushroom and Arcane Kingdoms united their magic to awaken the Star Road to the plight of the land bellow. It brought order to the madness and peace to the bloodthirsty."

Peach remarked "I have never heard of that history before."

"The Arcane Kingdom keeps it alive, no member of the royal family is ever allowed to forget it. That's the only reason why I know about it." Shalazia gestured to a nearby stairwell "I fear that as soon as you've arrived, you may have to soon leave again."

Mario sighed "Why don't we get to explore this place? It looks amazing, your highness."

"Not before you have a well deserved rest, of course." Shalazia smiled gently, lightly blushing an icy blue "I have been able to locate the remaining four pieces of the Prism Star, sadly they have been hidden in dangerous places so I need worthy heroes to reclaim them."

"Two heroes, ready and waiting to help someone in need." Mario jested as he put an arm around Luigi.

"Of course, I would not send you off unprepared. You will have full access to the armoury."

"We don't need weapons, princess."

Shalazia stated coldly "You will."

Luigi already felt the shiver run down his spine and his knees begin to buckle "What exactly will we be going up against?"

"With the Lightning Queen, any kind of abomination you can imagine. She is not to be taken lightly."

"May I ask, why haven't you been able to deal with her?" Peach nervously inquired "You seemed very capable in the Mushroom Kingdom."

"She resides in the Malevolent Mires, a place where the water is so polluted and toxic that any spell I cast is immediately rendered powerless. As you've noticed, I work best with water as my catalyst."

"I see so you need this Prism Star to help cleanse the mires?"

"Exactly, thankyou for being so understanding."

While the others followed, Daisy lingered behind and looked around. Unlike most other castles, this one had no minions to speak of. Only more of those strange watery constructs that looked eerily artificial. She quietly trailed behind them, eyeing the unusual artwork on the walls. Rather than hang paintings, the walls were covered with elaborate mosaics depicting all kinds of grand battles against Koopas, brave warriors posing triumphantly and beautiful maidens beside majestic beasts. There was something ancient about these halls like they had been standing far longer than any castle Daisy had ever seen. It spoke to a lost era of magical mastery that looked like it was torn right from the pages of the elaborate fantasy tales she was told as a child. She smiled, perhaps this kingdom was a beautiful dream from a fairy tale after all.

* * *

The Koopa Kingdom was definitely more peaceful now that the Koopalings had departed. Bowser Jr had been most vocal of the matter as he proclaimed they had an elite mission to perform. By now, Kamek did not care, all he knew is that he desperately needed a holiday, preferably to Delfino Isle. The sun drenched shores would be a delight compared to the stormy night outside. He quietly scurried towards Bowser's chambers, an overflowing tome in hand. It was his intention to bring the mighty king up to speed with their investigations. Oddly the door of Bowser's chambers was jarred open ever so slightly. Kamek instinctively looked through the crack to gage whether he was interrupting anything special. He could not believe the sight before him.

A human was perched on the armchair, false panelling in the wall was shifted and a strange book was in her hand. She was reading something Bowser took a lot of trouble in hiding. The audacity of this strange individual made Kamek's blood boil. He then paused as he examined her appearance. Concern was growing at the sight of the strange backpack strapped to her with the wires running down her arms. The odd mechanical trident by her side also raised alarm.

Bowser growled behind him "What is it Kamek? Seriously, why are you sneaking around like some kind of creep?"

"Your burliness!" Kamek screeched "When did you-"

"Out of the way," Bowser snarled as he shoved the door open. His eyes widened at the sight of that wretched woman again. He then saw the panel shifted and she was going through his secret photo album "HOW DID YOU FIND THAT!? GET OUT OF HERE YOU PSYCHO!"

"King Boo told me," Diabella answered, evading a wild swing from Bowser who was cursing the Boo under his breath. She continued flicking through the pages "Who's the babe posing raunchily for you?"

"Don't touch my Clawdia pics! Those are one of a kind!"

"I won't, I just came for these." She removed covered pages from the album. Kamek was a little disappointed that he could not see what the pictures revealed.

Bowser's face paled at the realisation "No…"

"You want it back, come get me." Diabella taunted as she jumped out of the nearby window. The familiar buzzing sound followed by the forms of Beelzebub and Bismillah soared into view before ascending steeply.

"Clown Car, NOW!" Bowser roared so loudly it sent Kamek flying back and down the stairs.

* * *

Within moments, Bowser was chasing after Diabella in his personal aircraft. He did not have the patience to stand idle while the rest of the troops organised themselves. Besides, he was a master of piloting the Clown Car, there was no opponent alive that could match him in an aerial fight. Well, aside from Mario. The fog of the darkened cloud line blurred as he burst into the clear night sky. The full moon illuminated a fleecy cover obscuring the Dark Lands. It was unusual to see a cloud line resemble an ocean when looking down upon it. Amidst the stars were the gargantuan forms of Beelzebub and Bismillah. Oddly there was no sign of Diabella anywhere.

He was about to steer the Clown Car upwards to catch them off their guard. A whistle from bellow caught his attention. Bowser looked down to see Diabella standing on the clouds, her ankles hidden by a haze. Both enraged and intrigued, Bowser descended so that he could float above her.

Diabella smiled broadly, revealing the gap in her teeth "Nice night, isn't it? Interesting cart you go there too. It looks so… unsuitable for air travel, yet here you are."

Bowser snarled, smoke and heat flared from his nostrils "SHUT UP! Gimme back what you stole and maybe I won't smash you to the Underwhere!"

"Yeah, been there already, you got to smash me out further if you want to get rid of me."

He froze from the sound of her laughter, he tilted his head, trying his best not to look curious. "So… how are you standing like that anyway?"

She raised her outstretched arms to beckon "Why not come down and see? There's plenty of room for both of us."

A flash of lightning followed by a primordial scream of thunder revealed a disturbing shape beneath the cloak of mists. Crackles of electricity writhed through the clouds like the tumultuous waves of a stormy sea. It was truly colossal, a serpentine shaped creature swimming through the air. Lightning was channelled through its various limbs, some were giant elongated forewings and hindwings to keep the creature aloft. The limbs towards the head were segmented and jagged, as it continued down the trail of its body the limbs resembled swirling branches that curled at random. The sight caught Bowser off guard, as a monstrous chitin encased tail smashed into him. He was knocked down to Diabella's level, on the back of the monstrous beast.

The monster reared upwards, revealing its ribbon like body weaving amidst the clouds. Large openings in its exoskeleton exposed a translucent skin with organs writing within. Thick mist was emitted from them, creating the unnatural clouds. The other limbs were studded with bioluminescent patterns that crackled with electricity. Bowser struggled as he realised the smaller limbs were reaching upwards to coil around him. Even against his rough scale, they seemed to stick like Velcro. Finally the head of the abomination was revealed as it curled around itself in an upwards spiral. It had no true discernable face other than a maw that was lined with hooks and suckers. The closest thing that resembled eyes was a ring of glowing circles. More of the strange brittle branches trailed from its scolex like a crown.

Diabella scaled the various limbs to look Bowser in the eye. She madly bragged "Do you like her? My finest creation, Silhouetta! One part basket star, one part tapeworm, one part tiger moth… with some miscellaneous species thrown in."

Bowser shook his head "And Kamek was thinking that storm was all because of magic… you're a fraud!"

"Why? I made no claim that I could even use magic."

"Everyone can use magic! Even I know that!" Bowser broke free of the brittle limbs, hitting the back of Silhouetta with a mighty thump. "It's the basics! Even if you can't sling a spell to save yourself, anyone can pick up a power-up!"

"You sound just like Lucia when we first crossed paths," Diabella taunted as cartwheeled away from him "Weirdly, she never mentioned anything about her family and now Ludwig is following down a similar path. It's like déjà vu, although, he's not quite at a point of no return… yet." She tapped on her satchel "I'm just trying to help the poor kid get some answers."

"I don't buy that, not for a second. Everything 'bout you screams bad guy. I'll admit I'm a little impressed, maybe I'd be able to call you a minion if I didn't hate you so much."

"The difference here is that Lucia was a master of her own fate, Ludwig on the other hand, he's just being unconsciously forced into it by his situation. You're not exactly helping him either."

"Why should I!? That brat is turning out just like her! I want nothing to do with him until he's ready to be my minion again." Bowser lunged forward menacingly "How did you even know anything about my castle!? Or even that those pics existed?"

Diabella did not falter in her step, she stood toe to toe with the Koopa King "I've looted your place a few times, during storms mind you. King Boo is also a good friend of mine, we like to drink and talk, and he is a very chatty fellow."

"I swear, I am going to stuff that fanged marshmallow into one of his stupid paintings." He stamped his feet, nearly throwing a tantrum as he screeched "Shut up already! I came here for those photos, not to talk at each other with words!"

"What else can you talk with?"

Her answer came in the form of a great ball of flame. She deftly leap onto a nearby limb and bounded around him. Trident armed and charged with electricity as the cogs whirled into action. Bowser was put on defence to evade her swings with that retched staff. Recalling her actions from their previous encounter, Bowser bid his time and waited for an opportunity. This was proving much harder than he expected. He grit his teeth with every failed evasion, his scales were charred and smouldering from the electrical current. A mighty arc from her trident demanded a follow through, leaving her exposed for a split second while Diabella lunged forward. In that instant, Bowser snatched the pronged end, ripping it to pieces in his hand.

He laughed wickedly as he tossed the mangled mental and cogs into the clouds. His happiness was short lived for Diabella had vanished from before him. Only to be caught off guard as she rebounded off a nearby bent leg of Silhouetta to strike him hard between the eyes with the wood and steel handle. Flashes and splotches of darkness clouded his eyes, yet she still advanced. In a desperate move Bowser breathed a great blaze all around him. Humans despised fire, they lacked the fortitude and rugged scales to remain unaffected.

The sight before him was something that would haunt him for many nights to come. She was howling with laughter, the moon gleaming down upon the chaotic sea she had woven through the sky. Diabella plunged her arms into the flames, her clothing catching alight almost instantly. She should be screaming in agony and flailing like an idiot. But no, giggling like a hysterical lunatic, she merely gazed upon her burning flesh with amusement. Madness flickered in her eyes, a deranged smile across her face as she slowly strutted towards him. A burning arm stretched out to caress him on the snout.

Reflexively, Bowser edged away from her, not paying attention to where he was moving. He stammered aloud "What kind of freak are you?"

Diabella smiled back "Lucia was intrigued by that as well… also I'd watch your step."

Bowser was about to retort only to feel the ground beneath him vanish. He teetered backwards and was sent sprawling through the air. Diabella shook her arms furiously, the flames vanishing in puffs of smoke. She gazed at the ruined leather and fabric "Damn, I really liked those gloves."


	24. Just dropping in

The spray of the sea did not deter Syrup as she aimed the cannon carefully. The wild waves rocking the boat did not make her falter. The wind cut past her and still, she did not hesitate. She had done this too many times to be thrown off balance by the ocean's tantrum. Before her was a giant Blooper, tentacles thrashing in a futile attempt to capture Wario and Waluigi. The two were insistent they could defeat the creature with their bare hands. Syrup however had more faith in her cannon and should it come to close, her cutlasses. Regardless of whether they defeated it or fled, her ship would not be sunk by this monster. The temptation to aim at Wario, who was currently more focused on trying to scale the Blooper's mantle and punch it in the eye, took all of Syrup's restraint. She was still fuming over what Waluigi brought up when he asked about her crew.

Much to her horror, Wario had informed him that she had disbanded her pirates in order to claim more loot for herself. She was not about to correct him though. That would reveal that she had merely sent the Black Sugar Pirates on a long voyage to amass the treasures from the pile of ancient maps Diabella had given her. Given their antiquity, Syrup was sceptical at first of their validity. When she travelled to the spot marked by the first map, she was amazed by the burial crypt with enough treasure for a king's ransom. From that moment on, Syrup had kept her little trading scheme with Diabella. Occasionally, Syrup did wonder why Diabella never went after the treasure herself. She knew their exact locations and every detail to avoid any lurking traps and dangers. Yet she never claimed any treasure as she was more satisfied with scavenging junkyards for scrap metal. Regardless of the matter, Syrup decided to take full advantage of the crazy swamp lady for the good of the buried treasure. Someone needed to liberate it from its musty tombs.

On second thought, Syrup aimed the cannon a little too closely to Wario's head before she light the fuse. The cannonball hurtled through the air to narrowly skim over his cap then crashed into the Blooper's eye. Wario nearly retched as the viscous jelly of the exploded eyeball coated him. He could hear Waluigi's wicked laughter, gazing upwards to see him pointing while being wildly shaken by the tentacle wrapped around his waist. Wario glared back at Syrup who merely shrugged back with a smirk on her face. If he was not precariously balancing on a monster's limb, he would have stormed over and yelled at her about it. The mountain sized alabaster squid continued to flail wildly in a half blind rage.

Before the Blooper could recover fully from the recoil of its injury, it was assailed by an overhead threat. Syrup watched with amazement as a large turtle lizard fell from the sky. His spiked shell was facing downwards as he crash landed into the Blooper's head (or at least what Syrup considered its head). The colossal squid fell back silently into the ocean, sending large waves out in all directions. It almost resembled an island of its own as it floated on the water's surface. Whether the attack had been fatal was still undecided when the waves settled. With relative safety ensured, Syrup returned to the helm and steered the boat around to pick up the stragglers.

Bowser found himself still looking up at the sky although he could now feel water splashing on him and a salty tang in the air. While endeavouring to stand upright, he realised he was pinned to whatever he had landed on. His spikes were buried deep in a spongy white flesh. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not shake himself loose. He then shivered at the sensation of something sticky oozing onto his back. He screeched, arms and legs flailing "Ewww, it's going down my shell!"

"Quit your whining!" Wario bellowed as he stomped over to the fallen Koopa "You're not the one covered in eyeball jelly! And another th-" He paused, positively fuming as Waluigi kept laughing in the background like a hyena. Wildly turning, nearly slipping over in the process, he demanded "What is so damn funny!?"

Waluigi stopped laughing enough to breathlessly answer "Everything about this situation."

"Will both of you shut the hell up and HELP ME UP!" Bowser breathed fire to punctuate his rage.

Wario sneered back "Why would I help you? You gonna pay me? I got bigger problems right now, there's no doubt Syrup has probably cheesed it."

"Nah, she's over there." Waluigi pointed over his shoulder.

Much to Wario's shock, he was right. Syrup and her ship were close to the carcass of the giant Blooper. He narrowed his eyes "I wonder what she's playing at…"

Syrup barked at them "Hurry up you landlubbers before I desert you here! And bring the turtle too!"

He yelled back "Why!? He's a jerk!"

"Yeah, but a wealthy jerk! That's the bloody Koopa King, you morons! Seriously, do I need to spell it out to you as to what is possible with this kind of cash cow with us?"

Bowser looked over to Waluigi while Syrup and Wario argued in the background "Why are you in the middle of the ocean anyway?"

Waluigi broke under Bowser's gaze, before he knew it he was spilling the gist of their current endeavours "Treasure hunt, that lady from the Mushroom Kingdom incident may have something to do with it. So we're heading to the Arcane Kingdom."

"The Lightning Queen," A smile appeared on Bowser's face "Looks like we may be able to help each other out after all."

Waluigi did not trust that smile one bit. Before he could object, Wario and Syrup were already marching over and deducing some kind of plan to dislodge Bowser.

He announced in a friendly tone "Sounds like we're looking for the same person, how bout we team up for now?"

"Team up with you? Forget it!" Waluigi protested immediately.

Syrup instantly began scheming "Now hold on, we could use a little more fire power on board. Still got a few days before we even reach the coast line of the Arcane Kingdom and a lot of open sea."

Wario bluntly remarked "You know, I don't think you even know where you're going!" This earned a sharp kick in the knee from Syrup.

"I know exactly where I'm going," Syrup growled back "You're the morons who are lost."

The Blooper stirred beneath them, signalling it had been merely knocked unconscious. They immediately cut the banter and worked to putting as much distance between them and the monster as quickly as possible.

* * *

The evening had passed peacefully, it appeared no luxury was spared in welcoming travellers from the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach was surprised that despite the castle being mostly decorated with water features and elaborate stone works, it was never cold. A nearby clock that shone with the brilliance of a full moon revealed it to be close to midnight. While the others had retired to their own chambers, Peach could not sleep easy tonight. Not after what had happened to her kingdom. She aimlessly wandered the hallways, marvelling at the embellished walls and how everything alternated between actual marble and wavering pools. One entire wall she passed was actually made of water, a living aquarium to marvel at. Adorning the corridors were elaborate displays of armour and weapons, all beautifully crafted with ornate embellishments of gold. Despite how lovely they were, Peach could not ignore the fact that they were still tools of war.

Eventually, she came to a courtyard overlooking the city. Crystallised plants grew wildly from their gold and sapphire pots. The full moon looked down upon her that night, never before had the sky felt so dark. Then again, they were far from the Star Road now. These lands were as foreign and mysterious as the Dark Lands.

"Good evening." Shalazia curtsied as she floated past, every part of her oozed elegance. She appeared to have a similar aura of ethereal grace that Rosalina possesses. "I hope everything was to your liking."

Peach curtsied back "It was, thankyou again."

A concerned expression appeared on Shalazia's face "You look troubled, is something the matter?"

"Well… my castle was mostly destroyed and my kingdom is nearly in ruins…" She let out a sigh, on the verge of tears "I still can't believe that happened."

"But you're still alive, your people are still alive and dedicated to you. So long as that remains, you will be fine. Your kingdom will survive."

"You speak as though you've experienced this before?"

"The Arcane Kingdom has been rebuilt four times, originally it resided high up in the mountains, near the Thwomp Ruins… then at the foot of the mountain range, then where the Malevolent Mires now fester, then not too far from here before it was finally settled close to the coast as we are now."

"What happened to make it relocate so many times?"

"This kingdom thrives on the practice of magic, some endeavours to better our knowledge have been met with deadly consequences." Shalazia laughed under her breath "When the Lightning Queen razed our archives to the ground, I was relieved, it meant that knowledge of certain… foul magic had been lost forever."

"I see, to be honest the Mushroom Kingdom doesn't have a lot of practiced magic. That's always been regarded as more of a Koopa thing." Peach nervously tugged at her hair "I know my royal blood means I have certain powers, but I've never really honed them. Sometimes my abilities unconsciously awaken, like on our journey here... but I have no control over them. I feel so foolish now."

"Why? Your kingdom has survived difficult times before, yes?"

"True, but it's usually Mario who saves everyone. Sometimes Luigi helps too."

Shalazia smiled warmly "Ah, yes, I've been meaning to ask what kind of weapon and armour they would require? It's just, I feel I must gift them with some kind of boon to help them with the arduous task ahead."

"They don't need it," Peach proudly replied "Mario has done it before of his own skills, he may not seem like a typical knight in shining armour. But he will always do what's right and will always succeed." She nodded to herself "And Luigi may seem cowardly and timid, but he's more courageous than you think. Besides, I doubt you'd ever get Luigi in a suit of armour, not after his various fights with King Boo."

"But surely there must be something I can do to help?"

Peach tapped a finger on her chin as the idea struck her "How about a badge? Just a small trinket to help him."

"I see, I will craft it myself and infuse it with a piece of my power."

"I still think they'll be reluctant to take it though. Especially Mario."

Shalazia sighed to herself "How does he have such courage in the face of the unknown? You have truly found yourself a talented champion."

"Well, he and I… and Luigi too, we're Star Children."

The cerulean clad princess smiled "Ah, that makes sense. You're blessed by the divinity of the Star Road itself."

"You seem quite obsessed with weapons and armour, even walking through your castle I've seen all kinds of warmongering things on display."

"That is the culture of my family, we are have a rich military history. Even from birth, women of the royal family are taught to wield a variety of weapons and don both heavy and light armour. As well as master our own gifts in the arcane. It's a tradition from the Era of Ire that was instilled to stop Dragon Koopas from stealing the princesses." Shalazia happily bragged "I will admit, I have taken a liking to full plate armour and wielding a spear or halberd alongside a shield."

"So you're trained to fully defend yourself?" Peach lowered her head, feeling even more worthless than before.

Shalazia placed a reassuring hand on Peach's shoulder "Don't beat yourself up, you can only rule your kingdom to the best of your ability. No kingdom is truly identical, the Mushroom Kingdom is something to envy really. I've never heard of such a peaceful place before. Your people must be truly happy."

Peach lifted her head, a little surprised by this remark "Are your people not happy?"

"Not by my doing, there are thugs in my city spreading their lies that everyone would be happier if I was gone. They implant these ridiculous ideas into the heads of my citizens." Shalazia shook her head, nearly growling as she said "They call themselves academics, scholars, even revolutionaries, but they're nothing but filthy anarchists. It all started when those minions of the Lightning Queen, those horrible steampunks, showed up."

"I see, so the Lightning Queen is really trying to steal everything away from you… she's hurting your people as well, isn't she?"

"Which is why I'm so desperate, I can't protect my kingdom alone. Not while it's being attacked from outside and corrupted from within."

Peach took Shalazia's hand and offered a gentle smile "You'll never be alone anymore. I vow that the Mushroom Kingdom will always come to the aid of the Arcane Kingdom."

Shalazia nodded back gratefully. Both then turned their gazes upwards to marvel at the star studded sky.


	25. Ludwig snaps

Perpetual night clouded the passage of time as Ludwig remained in self-imposed solitude. After Lemmy's intervention, he had withdrawn into one of his moods and fortunately had not been disturbed by anyone. Aside from the servants who brought him his meals which he barely touched. His wounds had healed swiftly as expected of his species. To ignore his overwhelming anxieties, he turned to the extensive collection of tomes in the chamber. Much to his amazement, they were hand written journals rather than formally published books. They documented extensive research into the arcane, particularly the enigma of shadow magic. Gone were the days when Ludwig could see the channelling of magic through single geometric runes Kamek had tutored him in. The complexities of these symbols before him opened a new level of magic to wield. It only fuelled his newfound curiosity in honing this craft. In fact some of them looked similar to the runes Magnifico wove to cast her extensive spells. Perhaps this chamber belonged to the one who pioneered this new way of weaving magic.

He closed another tome after reading it from cover to cover. The knowledge he had accumulated was jotted down in a tome of his own as he drafted methodologies for spells of his design. His brain was throbbing from reading so much information, a spell of light headedness demanded he take a break to get his bearings. It was then he noticed the insignia on the cover of all these journals. The simple pattern was half a pentagon studded with three ovals crowned by four horns that spread across the embossed leather. He then realised they partly resembled the head dress of the Onyx Witch. He muttered to the insignia, almost hoping it would answer "Who were you? Why did you study all this?" He paused at the memory of his time in the Underwhere "Diabella… guess she's not such an insane drunk after all."

The solitude was finally shattered when the door slammed open a minute later. Iggy burst into the room like a hurricane, sprinting to Ludwig and grabbing his arm. Within seconds Ludwig found himself shoved into the seat of a wheelchair. Iggy leapt on the back, kicking a pedal violently as the rocket engine mounted to it stirred to life. They were sent hurtling forwards with Iggy steering through the narrow corridors of the manor. Boos cackled as they darted before them and swirled into vapour to evade them. The Dry Bones that were not swift enough found themselves scattered through the manor. Ludwig was actually grateful that his stomach was empty at that moment.

Iggy laughed maniacally as an antique rug tore beneath the sharp turn from his device "Yeah, don't care if you're in one of those 'I vant to be alone' moods, you have gotta see this!"

"A little warning would have been nice," Ludwig was beyond being surprised by Iggy's antics. Then again, perhaps it was his randomness that Ludwig came to appreciate. Iggy was one of those people constantly locked in the moment that he very rarely noted the passage of time. He reclined in the seat, examining his claws as he remarked "So how did you accumulate the parts to build a rocket powered wheelchair?"

"Around, seriously, King Boo never cleans out his manors. He's a freaking hoarder. It's like living in a museum where you're allowed to touch the exhibits! There's stuff everywhere from any era imaginable! Except there are no vacuum cleaners at all which is weird… you know, I don't know why we don't hang out here more often." Iggy's eye twitched erratically, his sentences ran into one another as a garbled blur "I just made this for the hell of it. Took it off some sweet jumps in the forest. It was awesome!"

Ludwig's brow furrowed "Good to see you're still as crazy as ever." The skull of a Dry Bones toppled into his lap, he calmly lifted the skull, golden eyes gleamed within the hollow sockets. Ludwig smirked and recited "To be or not to be? That is the question."

Iggy nodded wisely to reply "Well, I'm telling you now, the answer is always forty two."

"Ugh, you jackanapes!" He threw the skull absentmindedly away.

The wheelchair came to a jarring halt as Iggy slammed the breaks on. The two Koopalings were projected from a wide doorway and sent flying through the gallery. They bounced along the ground, past the array of exquisite portraits to finally crash into a nearby wall. Ludwig groaned, his hand rubbed the temples of his head as he rose to his feet.

Iggy did not miss a beat as he leapt up "By the way, I got sent a bunch of papers from that scientist lady, she said I can be her apprentice if I can decipher them!" He then padded over to a particular wall and pointed to the portrait of interest "Anyway, look at this! I reckon this is something you need to see to believe!"

The painting was of a Dragon Koopa couple. The male was tall and lean with a handsome face. His scales varied between yellow, tan and blue hues around his face. His eyes were framed by thick eyebrows and he possessed a long, wild mane of midnight blue hair that seemed to host a whole array of blue shades depending on the light. A pair of horns crowned his head, rising above his hair to curve and curl like a demon. A set of frilled cuffs hung around his wrists and a layered cravat studded by a large indigo gem hung around his neck. Beside him was his bride, a woman with serpentine features and almost as tall as he. Ludwig froze as he recognised her face, it was the Onyx Witch herself. He read the plaque beneath it out loud "The count Amadeus Von Koopa and countess Lucia Von Koopa."

"Her snout totally looks like yours, she's got the buck tooth and everything. Even that guy's hair, eyes and the last name. I think… I think these are your parents or maybe related to you." Iggy threw his arms up "But I'm not jumping to conclusions! I just found this randomly when I was looking for Lemmy. By that way, you haven't seen him, have you?"

"Iggy, breathe between your sentences. We've talked about this." Ludwig reminded as he put an arm around him "Let me guess, another game of hide and seek gone astray?" Iggy nodded in reply, Ludwig shook his head "I think you need to set clearer boundaries."

Iggy whined "But then it's not as fun."

"Regarding this portrait, I think we need to ask King Boo about it. Where is he?"

"Probably his study. But I got no idea where that is." He paused to see Ludwig walk off with purpose. Iggy quickly caught up to him, passing the wreckage of his rocket powered wheelchair. It was no problem though, he could just rebuild it later.

* * *

The study was lined with all manner of tomes, pamphlets and texts. The walls were masked by shelves stretching all the way to the ceiling. The only spaces visible amidst the sea of literature were the windows, bright eyes for the outside world to look through. A large fireplace kept the room illuminated. Books fluttered between the shelves like butterflies as they took on minds of their own. King Boo levitated before the window in question, blankly watching the strange Koopaling that had taken residence on its sill. He was still unsure whether it was actually there or just some horrific hallucination brought on by eternal insomnia.

"Hi! Where'd you get that big crown from!? It looks shiny!" Lemmy bashed on the window again "Hey! Can you hear me? I'm Lemmy, I'm talking to you through the glass." He frowned and tilted his head "Do we have a bad connection? Should I try calling another time? Oh wait, it's a window, not a phone, I get those things confused all the time."

King Boo blinked, Lemmy had been at his window for the past seven hours. The cross eyed lunatic was conversing with himself and trying to drag the ghostly monarch into his craziness.

"King Boo, we need to talk."

He turned to see Ludwig and Iggy at the doorway. Iggy was still flummoxed as to how Ludwig knew where he was going in the maze like manor. King Boo smirked "Let me guess, you saw the portrait? What did you think of it?"

Ludwig paused momentarily "It's nice? The brushwork conveys an aura of power and the lighting compliments the colours."

"Thankyou, I painted it myself." King Boo proudly beamed "Most people don't know I'm actually a very talented artist… who sometimes traps people in canvas using magic. But I assure you, nothing sinister like that happened in order to create that particular portrait."

"Nevertheless, I want you to tell me who Amadeus and Lucia are."

"They're your parents, isn't that obvious? Come on, I thought you were the smart one."

Ludwig raised an eyebrow, utterly flummoxed "That was easier than I expected… I thought you'd be a little more protective of such information, you are a master of illusion and deception after all."

"Nah, it's no secret here in the manors, Lucia lived here when she was kicked out of the Koopa Kingdom. She dabbled in dark magic and performed blood rites and live sacrifices, didn't go down too well with her family." He tapped his forehead as he recalled "Well, they warmed back up to her once she got married, then went cold again when rumours surfaced that she murdered her husband… all of which were true, mind you."

King Boo knocked on the wall, jarring the window open for Lemmy to fall though. He waved a hand to push the furniture around the fireplace so they could get comfortable. "Ludwig, your egg was laid here and you also hatched here too, you lived your first two years of life here... Then again you were just a wee hatchling when Lucia took you to live with Bowser. It's no surprise you don't really remember anything."

As Ludwig took a seat at least he now understood why he sought comfort in the macabre. Lemmy scrambled into a large armchair, frantically spinning around before settling. At that moment Iggy seemed more preoccupied with examining the books on display although he was still listening to the edge of the conversation. Ludwig hesitated for a moment then questioned timidly "What were my parents like? Why did my mum kill my dad?"

"Amadeus was a prime cut of meat, descended from a long line of powerful Dragon Koopa mages, ideal to sacrifice to the Shadow Queen herself." A ghostly smile oozed a haze of ectoplasm "To be honest, they're not what you would call… good people. Amadeus was an obnoxious lout of the highest calibre, complete ass with ridiculously high standards about everything! But what do you expect from a descendent of the great Von Koopa clan and a celebrity composer and musician too?" King Boo shivered at the memory "Lucia on the other hand… well, she's cunning, malicious and everything wicked. It's no surprise she was kicked out of her own kingdom and turned out the way she did."

He let out a sigh, this was not ending up how he pictured at all. Given the portrait he thought perhaps he was related to noble hearted people. Not a power crazed witch and her sacrificial lamb that everyone wanted dead.

"But, Lucia was a bright one too. You've been reading through her notes on magic while you were recovering." King Boo smirked "Her lessons have been passed out to magic users everywhere, I think the Magikoopas and the Mushroom Kingdom burnt their copies of it though. Ungrateful jerks." He leant in closer, hovering over Ludwig like a bird of prey "But there's one more tome, this one informs the reader of the ancient spells that have been lost. The spells of Dark Star Cultists and the Disciples of the Shadow Queen. Spells that conjure abominations from beyond the veil of time and space. I guess you could say, it was Lucia's final gift to magic, one she painstakingly crafted after many drunken nights spent with Diabella… trust me, most do not live through those nights." King Boo laughed under his breath "If the alcohol poisoning doesn't get you, the way things transpire through the evening will."

Ludwig dismissively waved a hand "That's preposterous, I've been through all the books in her chamber and I read no such things."

"Because it's not here, Lucia ordered that the book be given to Diabella for safe keeping. The knowledge it holds is not for the weak of mind, body or soul."

King Boo was caught by surprise as Ludwig reached into his mouth and grabbed hold of his tongue, roughly pulling it out. Ludwig growled to the squirming Boo "But Diabella has no magic or any ability to wield magic! Why she should she have that damn book!? If it belonged to my mother, then it is mine by birthright!"

Lemmy bounced up onto a nearby pile of books "Ludwig, calm down! Go to your happy place!" He rested his chin in his hand "Have you eaten lately? You always get cranky when you're hungry."

"My anger is perfectly justified," his voice dropped to a low snarl "For I will not have another thing taken from me, especially when it is my birth right to inherit such knowledge!"

King Boo said awkwardly "You sound just like Amadeus. An over entitled cretin."

Iggy piped up, momentarily turning from the shelves "Why do you need a book like that anyway?"

The question blindsided him, Ludwig let go of King Boo's tongue to blankly stare into space wide eyed. The ghostly monarch tittered back "You see, this is why you don't get to learn the powerful magic until you're older. Right now, you're still going through puberty according to your species. Not a good combination for toying with the matters of the abyss. I mean, can you even answer that question?"

"No…" Ludwig wanted the earth to swallow him then and there. King Boo's sharp words had cut him deeply and the comparison between him and his father only rubbed salt into the fresh wounds.

"I think, you've outstayed your welcome here." King Boo smirked, his words were an order not a request "The Spectre Express to Rhapsody leaves in an hour. I suggest you be on it."

Ludwig glared back as he turned and left the chamber in silence. His gaze was lowered and his shoulders were slightly slumped. Although he appeared to have good posture, it was clear that he was exhausted both mentally and physically. Iggy and Lemmy exchanged concerned looks from his departure, they nervously gazed up at King Boo. The ghost shrugged indifferently "What? Your family is a mess right now because of Bowser… well, I guess it always was a mess. Dragon Koopas always have very… intriguing relations."

Iggy questioned nervously "Do you know why Bowser disowned us? If we just knew the logic, maybe, it'd help us get past it?"

Lemmy shyly asked "So you know anything about our parents? Maybe?"

"You're forgetting that logic very rarely comes into play in real life. Besides, I wouldn't have a clue why Bowser is being an idiot. As for that other thing you want to know… well…" He paused to see the hope in their eyes then coldly remarked "Come back and ask me again once you know who you're looking for. Then maybe I'll help." King Boo rolled his eyes at the sorry looking duo "Alright, kids, you can pick a book from my collection, just to cheer you two up."

Lemmy seemed less than enthusiastic as he stared blankly at King Boo. Iggy's eyes light up "A free book? Anything from here?" King Boo nodded back sending Iggy into a squeals of euphoria. The lanky Koopaling scampered off like a madman to make a choice. He scaled towers of tomes and wildly lashed out to catch books as they floated past.

King Boo tilted, somewhat regretting the decision "He… really likes books, doesn't he?"

"You have no idea," Lemmy laughed as he watched Iggy fly through the air while hanging onto a particularly rowdy book "Ludwig's the same, both of them really like books for some reason. I never understood it."

He crashed to the ground, loudly proclaiming "I found one! We should all be able to get a kick out of it, looks like a scary story book." Iggy brandished a tome bound in black scales "It's called, the Era of Ire! Looks like an anthology, look there are cool pictures too! This looks awesome, all full of knights and monsters and… whoa! You gotta see this Lemmy, there are Koopas in here too."

While Lemmy bounded over to peek at the pages over Iggy's shoulders. King Boo had to hold back his laughter, of all the books, Iggy had to pick up that one. He felt like he should say something or rip it from his claws. However, the spark that book may ignite would definitely liven things up. His smiled broadly, letting Iggy's thanks wash over him. This was going to be a fantastic prank on Diabella.


	26. Return to Rhapsody

The Spectre Express was the reanimated remains of a grotesque train crash from the prohibition era. Apparently the engineers preferred to die in a fiery blaze of glory than surrender to the guards of the Mushroom Kingdom. It had been mended with bones, ectoplasm and eerie shimmering gemstones. Much like the one found on King Boo's crown. The ghastly train held a power unlike any other, anyone who boarded it essentially became invisible to the mortal coil. That was how this magnificent machine could go wherever it needed to without rails, why it could pass through cities and mountains and across vast lakes without crashing in a spectacularly horrible way.

They had been given their own cabin in one of the middle cars. A table was folded down to give them working space as they were not keen on sleeping during the ride. The rattling of the pistons and wheels were becoming harmonic to Iggy by now. Lemmy would often dart in and out of the cabin in search of fun, knowing fully well that Iggy needed time to think. On the ride to Rhapsody he was focused on decoding the pages he had been given by Diabella. So far he deduced that they were genetic profiles and he could see the markers indicating gender and inherited qualities such as dwarfism and gigantism. Although there were still too many pieces missing and he had a pretty good guess as to what these pages were. His scientific way of thinking told him to avoid such assumptions until it was proven through logic and fact. He put the pages down, feeling that he had enough to go on for his meeting with Diabella. To his concern, Ludwig was still sitting by the window, blankly staring at nothing. He had remained silent the whole time. To break the monotony up, Iggy pulled out the tome King Boo had gifted him. He flicked through the pages until he came to a story that seemed interesting.

"Story time!" Lemmy proclaimed as he appeared from nowhere, sitting down beside Ludwig to eagerly await the tale. The older Koopaling merely feigned a slight interest before giving up to stare out the window once more.

"This one looks good, it's called the duel to end the war. Apparently it's between some Warlord Astrapi and an Emperor Gowser."

"What war are you talking about?"

"Well, I skipped a few chapters to get to this tale. Mainly because of this picture." Iggy informed as he turned the book around to show Ludwig and Lemmy. "But from what I can see, these two fought each other for eight days straight before they deemed each other equals and decided to end some big war going on between their kingdoms."

The illustration beside the text depicted a gruelling battle. The horned knight, wearing the remains of Dragon Koopas and wielding a two handed sword was overwhelmed by the terrifyingly colossal Emperor. Gowser was easily twice the size of Bowser and could have swatted that knight with one talon. His horns were grand, looking like they could easily tear a building down if he charged at it, and wreathed by a mane of fiery hair.

Iggy dropped the book on the counter, his lower eye lid twitching "Whoa, Warlord Astrapi is crazy to go up against the Emperor with just a big sword. Then again…" a claw tapped a particular sentence "It says Warlord Astrapi was a master of the storm and could wield lightning like a weapon… but the Emperor is all about shadow magic and is freaking huge! He could squash him like a bug! I don't like the knight's chances."

"That's not just a big sword, Iggy." Ludwig remarked, pulling the book over to him to get a closer look. Out of curiosity, Lemmy jumped up on his shoulder to get a closer look. Ludwig chewed on his lower lip, feeling a little nervous given that the knight decorated himself with Koopa remains. It was gazing at a battle between truly deadly forces, on equal ground as well. He informed aloud "The cruciform and pommel resemble a typical zweihander, however the blade is undulated."

Lemmy tilted his head "Does that mean the blade is all wiggly, wiggly?"

Ludwig nodded back "Also known as a flame-blade, apparently it's good for countering as clashing this type of blade with another sends a powerful shockwave down your opponent's arm. It also inflicts much wider wounds with a lighter overall weight due to its unique cross section."

"So what's it called then? A wiggly, wiggly, flaming zighander?"

"Zweihander." Ludwig corrected "And no, a sword like this is known as a flammenschwert."

"And why should we care?"

He tapped on the illustration "Because a weapon like that, wielded correctly, should be more than enough to take down a Koopa that size. So, technically both are equally lethal to each other."

Iggy removed his glasses to wipe them with a spectral curtain "Why do you know about swords anyway? We have claws and talons so why would we ever need to know about them?"

He sweetly smiled back "When I used to have those little talks with the prisoners in the dungeons, you know, so I could find out what Bowser wanted to know. My arms would get tired with some of the more difficult guests so I needed to be creative."

Lemmy remained silent, pretending to be distracting by staring out the window at the whirling shadows amidst blurred colours. He always knew Ludwig was somewhat of an experiment to Bowser, the first born and extremely mentally advanced for his age. When Bowser wanted something done, Ludwig was the guinea pig for the scheme. It all started when Bowser demanded a laboratory for making all kinds of machines to aid him and surprise, surprise, Ludwig was stuck in there for most of his youth. He did not blame Ludwig for what he had done so far, in all fairness, he seemed to revel in the responsibilities. Although he was stumped as to how he was going to help him navigate his anxieties.

Evaluating the exact distance between the Twisted Manors and Rhapsody was near impossible. Ghoulish magic was at play, turning the world viewed through the window into a dreamlike, glowing haze. The thick fog suffocated the senses and disorientated all perspectives. At times, Iggy swore they were travelling upside down and along the sides of buildings. With a sudden jolt, the train came to a screeching halt. The screech was more akin to screams of terror rather than brakes frantically clawing to the rails. The mist had cleared to reveal a rotting stone platform in the middle of a festering midden. Nervously, he and Lemmy followed after Ludwig, unsure of what to expect beyond the doors of the carriage.

A stone's throw from the platform where the Spectre Express cackled insanely with ghostly ether, there was a thriving broad walk. There was a miniature metropolis of brass, metal and gears hidden within the swamps. Iggy wiped his eyes, making sure they were not deceiving him. He never knew such a fascinating place could exist, the buildings churned and breathed steam like they were alive.

"This is Rhapsody, I've been… kind of living here after I left." Ludwig said more as a formality, he did not even turn as he headed down a nearby street "Explore all you want, I have work to do. If you need me, I'll be in a club called the Bone Pit."

It was then that Iggy noticed Ludwig was carrying a heavy looking satchel.

"Oh, and Iggy," Ludwig glanced slightly over his shoulder, he nodded his head in the opposite direction "Diabella's lab is down that way. Be careful when talking to her alone."

His eyelid twitched reflexively as he spoke "Why?"

Ludwig offered a final warning before parting with them "She may not be a liar, but if you want her to uphold her end of a bargain you need to play along with her little games."

Lemmy felt a hand grab his shoulder, he looked up to see Iggy who only shook his head "Don't follow after him, give him some space."

He poked his tongue out "I think he's had enough space for now… we just need to get him to open up."

"I may have a way of doing that, if my suspicions are correct of course." Iggy nodded to himself "I doubt it'll fix him but, maybe it'll help him get to a better frame of mind."

"Well, I thought we should just get him wasted, he's always pretty chatty then. Besides, Wendy, Morton and Larry aren't here so we can crazy without worrying about setting a bad example."

A familiar horned Shy Guy casually ducked between them, resting his arms over their shoulders like an old friend "If that's the case, you could try giving him a batch of my brownies. That was one interesting night."

Lemmy broke into a wide smile and cheered "Fandango! Hey, how you going?"

"Fantastic, Lemmy, it's good to see you guys again. Welcome to my side of the world. It's pretty wonderful here, except when it's terrible. Then it's wonderfully terrible!"

Iggy frowned more from being unable to solve the Shy Guy's riddle "How would brownies make Ludwig talk anyway?"

Fandango rocked on his heels "Well… wait, how old are you two anyway?"

"Eighteen," Iggy then gestured to Lemmy "Don't be fooled by his size, he's twenty one."

"In that case, I make mine with potent hallucinogens from the dream world." Fandango laughed to himself "Yeah, Luddy kind of devoured a whole tray of them and it was a pretty fun night afterwards. He actually stole a goat from somewhere and was convinced it was him from another life. And then Diabella and I thought it would be fun if we took him us when we crashed a rather formal shindig up in Poshly Heights. We certainly livened up that party." He cackled to himself, then nodded wisely "Ah, it was all good, he didn't drown in that chocolate fountain… but he did smell of chocolate for the following month. Serves him right though, who eats a whole tray of brownies without asking for permission first?"

"As much as I'd love to hear more stupid stories involving Ludwig," Iggy calmed his chuckling while Lemmy kept chortling "I have to go see Diabella. If you'll excuse me."

"No worries, we'll head down to Flaming Pants' café on the lagoon, you can't miss it, pal." Fandango waved back.

* * *

The key turned in the lock, slowly opening the heavy brass door. Ludwig was pleased to see his apartment was exactly as he left it. As he placed the satchel on his desk, he immediately wondered why there was no dust on any of the surfaces and how his tie pin had mysteriously been placed back on the shelf. He focused his mind temporarily, applying his new understanding of magic as a ball of violet light manifested in his claw. He raised his arm, looking away from it as the orb exploded into a flash of ultraviolet light. A ghostly whine whimpered behind him.

"Whoa! Too bright, too bright!" Gallileo squealed as she ripped from her camouflaged state, she frantically rubbed her eyes.

Ludwig marvelled at his talons "Guess that spell worked rather nicely. Why are you in my house?"

"Keeping the dust off, welcome back. How are you feeling?" She paused, sizing him up beneath her gaze and his slumped posture "What's wrong? You look like you got the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"It's none of your business."

"It's totally my business, come on Luddy, I thought we were friends."

"Where would you get such an absurd idea like that?"

Gallileo frowned going demure, Ludwig thought she was about to leave him alone. Only, she then snarled back, eyes glowing red and ectoplasmic vapour steaming from her form "You know what, you are a rude, over-entitled, greedy, obnoxious lout! You should consider yourself lucky you even have friends!"

Ludwig snapped "I am not like my father!" He then paused, flummoxed by his own words.

Gallileo's expression softened "Wait, are you scared of becoming like your dad? Where'd this come from?"

"Recently, so many questions about where I came from. I never really thought about it until now. King Boo told me he knew my parents and that they were horrible people really." He let out an exhausted sigh "I should've never gone back, it's just made everything worse."

"That's stupid, you know you can't go back. You can only go hurtling forward into the unknown adventure of life!" Gallileo pushed him into his chair "Do you know how Boos are made?"

He instinctively crossed his legs and growled, flames rising from his nostrils "No."

"What!? Get your head out of the gutter! That's necrophilia!" Gallileo pouted a little "No, a Boo is what you become if you die and you don't get changed into a Shayde or Skellobit. In other words, you abandon everything you were to be reborn. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's very effective."

"And the point of this lecture is?"

"At the end of the day, the only person you can be, is you. Sure, that may change as you get older and experience life, but you spend your life crafting who you are through your actions. So no matter what, you'll always know who you are and nothing can take that away." She leant in closer, eyeing him up suspiciously "Besides, how do you know you're acting like your dad? Have you ever met him?" Ludwig shook his head, she punched him in the shoulder "So how do y- wait a minute, if your parents are dead, maybe we can hold a séance so you can talk to them?" Gallileo nodded back to him, placing a hand over his mouth as she tittered "Relax, Magnifico and I will gather the reagents, there just one thing we need to get from the Twisted Manors. We'll have it sorted in a few days, alright!? Excellent."

Ludwig remained still as Gallileo flew out of the room like a whirlwind. Inadvertently she sent pages and lighter furniture flying in the process. He let out a sigh, nothing seemed to deter her when she got an idea in her head. He reluctantly went about tidying his apartment. Still caught in a miasma of uncertainty where nothing really felt the same. Unfortunately it seemed his problems had only been in hibernation during his stay in Rhapsody.


End file.
